Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson has criticized the Trump administration as a threat to state elections, claiming federal agencies have failed to provide adequate answers regarding the protection of sensitive voter data. The comments, made during a recent television appearance, come amid a Department of Justice investigation into Henderson for her refusal to share private voter information with federal authorities.
Henderson Challenges Federal Oversight
Henderson, who serves as Utah's chief election officer, told "60 Minutes" host Lesley Stahl that the real threat to state elections is not voter fraud, but rather the federal government itself. She argued that while elections have faced external pressures from non-state actors, such as cyberattacks, they now face threats coming from within the government.
Federal Investigation into Election Security
The Lieutenant Governor's criticisms follow a notification from the U.S. Department of Justice in September stating she is being investigated for refusing to share private voter information. Henderson expressed concern that federal agencies did not provide "very good answers" regarding their protocols for handling sensitive data, including Social Security numbers, full birth dates, and driver's license numbers.
Senator Lee Defends Federal Inquiries
In response to the investigation, U.S. Senator Mike Lee defended the federal inquiries. In an interview with Deseret News, Lee stated that the Department of Justice's actions are an effort to ensure that elections are conducted in accordance with federal law. Lee emphasized that the acceptable number of illegal votes cast in U.S. elections is zero and argued that it is unreasonable to oppose efforts to address known vulnerabilities.
Legal Battles Over Voter Rolls
The debate occurs as the Trump administration has sued 30 states, including Utah, to gain full access to state voter rolls. The litigation aims to verify that no noncitizens are participating in elections. This legal pressure follows recent actions in California, where the U.S. Attorney's Office for central California reported the arrest of 11 foreign nationals charged with fraudulently participating in elections, among 28 green card holders charged with federal crimes for registering to vote.
Audit Reveals Voter Roll Discrepancies
An audit conducted by the Lieutenant Governor's Office recently identified up to 58 noncitizens on state voter rolls, along with approximately 3,300 individuals whose citizenship status could not be verified. This follows a similar report from New Jersey officials, who revealed last month that 6,600 noncitizens were on their rolls, with about 340 having voted.
Election Security and Governance
Henderson has been an advocate for Utah's near-universal vote-by-mail system since entering office in 2021. While she maintains that Utah elections are secure, she has faced criticism from election security hawks for dismissing Republican concerns regarding unproven claims of election interference in 2020. Henderson stated she would continue to do what she believes is right, regardless of the consequences, to maintain constitutional guardrails around state control of elections.
Political Outlook for Midterms
The political stakes remain high as Republicans are expected to lose majority control in one or both chambers of Congress following upcoming midterm elections, according to historical trends. Senator Lee noted that if Democrats take the legislative branch, they may engage in impeachment battles against the President and his cabinet members.
