A federal judge has rejected the Justice Department’s attempt to obtain Utah’s confidential voter registration records, ruling that federal law does not authorize the demand.
U.S. District Judge David Barlow issued the ruling Friday, October 23, siding with Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, who had refused to release sensitive voter information.
The dispute began in 2025 when federal officials requested Utah’s unredacted voter records, which included driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, and partial Social Security numbers. Henderson provided publicly available information but withheld protected data, citing state privacy laws.
The Justice Department argued that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 entitled the agency to the records. However, Barlow disagreed, ruling that the law did not authorize access to the statewide voter database. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice without deciding if disclosure would violate state privacy laws.
The Justice Department confirmed Saturday that it intends to appeal the decision.
Henderson stated she would continue protecting voter information and maintaining secure elections following the ruling.
The ruling follows a disclosure by Henderson that the Justice Department notified Utah it would send federal election monitors to observe the November 3 general election. Federal election monitoring is a practice used to evaluate compliance with voting rights laws.
In Kane County, early in-person voting is scheduled for October 26-30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the County Clerk’s Office, 76 N. Main St. in Kanab. Election Day voting will be available November 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Kane County Courthouse in Kanab and the Kane County North Event Center, 475 E. State St. in Orderville.
