The United States Department of Justice is engaged in a legal battle with Utah officials over the state's refusal to provide unredacted voter registration files, including sensitive personal data such as driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. The federal lawsuit follows a year-long dispute sparked by an August 2025 demand from federal authorities for complete access to the state's voter rolls.
Federal Lawsuit Over Voter Files
The litigation, identified as United States v. Henderson, involves a federal demand for Utah’s complete voter registration file. According to the ACLU of Utah, the Department of Justice requested the unredacted list in August 2025, prompting Utah officials to decline the request due to significant privacy concerns regarding the sensitive information contained within the files.
In February 2026, the Department of Justice escalated the matter by filing a lawsuit. This case is one of at least thirty nearly-identical lawsuits filed by the federal government seeking statewide voter files across various jurisdictions. Voting rights advocates have expressed concern that these federal efforts may be part of a larger initiative to create a national voter database and facilitate mass challenges to voter registrations.
Advocates warn that such large-scale voter purges could result in the accidental removal of eligible voters from the rolls, presenting heightened risks to specific populations, including naturalized citizens.
Intervention by Voting Rights Groups
The League of Women Voters of Utah has moved to intervene in the lawsuit as a defendant to protect the rights of its members and all Utah voters. The motion to intervene was granted by the District Court for the District of Utah on March 20, 2026.
The group is being represented by both the ACLU Voting Rights Project and the ACLU of Utah. In April 2026, voting rights groups actively petitioned the court to reject what they characterized as an unlawful demand by the Department of Justice for full access to the state's voter rolls.
State Defense of Election Integrity
Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson has defended Utah's election administration, asserting that the state remains in full compliance with federal election laws, including the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). In a press release dated July 31, 2025, Henderson stated that Utah has implemented safe, secure, and timely safeguards for maintaining voter registration lists.
Henderson noted that these maintenance processes are explicitly outlined in the Utah Election Code under Title 20A, Chapter 2. The state's position emphasizes that existing protocols are sufficient to ensure election integrity without compromising the private data of Utah citizens.
Utah Voter List Protocols
Under current Utah law, the Lieutenant Governor is responsible for providing and maintaining a statewide voter registration database used by county clerks to register voters and update existing entries. The state's maintenance protocols include several mandatory steps designed to ensure clean voter rolls.
County clerks are required to perform monthly certifications of compliance to the Lieutenant Governor. These duties include processing both electronic and paper registration forms within seven days of receipt, verifying the identity of each voter at the time of registration, and removing duplicate voters or those registered in other states.
Additionally, the state mandates the removal of deceased voters within five days of receiving notice. To further maintain accuracy, the Lieutenant Governor ensures that deceased voters are removed from the rolls at least 90 days before each election, with county clerks performing National Change of Address (NCOA) checks before mailing ballot extracts.
Annual Maintenance and Administration
The state also conducts annual processing every December to clean voter rolls. This process involves inactivating voters who have not participated in two consecutive general elections and mailing them confirmation cards. This system allows for the removal of voters who fail to update their registration after receiving instructions on how to remain active on the rolls.
The Lieutenant Governor's office also manages various other administrative duties, including releasing official results for signature-gathering processes, such as the HB 267 Public Sector Labor Union Amendments Act in June 2025, and issuing temporary stays on legislative acts when necessary.
Ongoing Legal Conflict
While the Department of Justice continues its litigation to secure access to unredacted data, Utah officials maintain that their current statutory processes provide a foundation for secure elections. The ongoing legal battle remains centered on the tension between federal oversight and state-level privacy protections.
