The request, filed Friday against Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert, aimed to prevent Herbert from verifying the petitions, and allowing Utahns for Electoral Fairness, led by Bart Grant and Mike Ridgway, the opportunity to challenge the legitimacy of the signatures.

Ridgway said the request was shot down Monday.

Herbert's office verified 124,218 valid signatures among more than 131,000 reportedly submitted to county clerks this month.

To get the issue on a ballot, the group needed nearly 92,000 signatures.

But Ridgway claims many of those collected in Salt Lake County were not properly verified.

"Instead, the county clerk merely read the signatures and checked to see whether those names corresponded to the name of a registered voter," according to the complaint.

Though the deadline to intervene in the counting of the signatures has passed, Ridgway would still like to see some accounting of the signatures by Herbert and the county clerk.

"It just appears the county clerks were very indifferent in doing due diligence," Ridgway said.

- Michael N. Westley