League of Women Voters of Utah, ACLU of Utah, ACLU Voting Rights Project File Motion To Protect Utah Voters’ Privacy

SALT LAKE CITY— The League of Women Voters of Utah (LWVUT), represented by the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc. (ACLU of Utah) and the ACLU Voting Rights Project, filed a motion to intervene in U.S. v Deidre Henderson and Utah to prevent the Department of Justice (DOJ) from obtaining Utah voters’ personal data.

The filing comes after DOJ sued Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson, who oversees Utah’s election system, for refusing to turn over Utah’s statewide voter roll. On February 26, 2026, DOJ filed a lawsuit seeking Utah’s unredacted voter list, containing Social Security numbers, birthdays, driver’s license data, and other private information that is protected under state and federal law.

Utah’s election system is safe, secure, and trusted by the vast majority of Utahns. DOJ’s sweeping lawsuits seeking access to sensitive voter information in Utah, 28 other states, and the District of Columbia are part of efforts to invade voters’ privacy—pushed by those more interested in sowing distrust than protecting the integrity of our voting system.

In the motion, the proposed intervenor-defendants argue that DOJ’s request threatens voter privacy and could result in the wrongful removal of eligible voters from the voter rolls. Movants seek to advance the interests of voter groups like the LWVUT, whose work is compromised when Utahns lack trust in the voter registration process, and creates the potential for any and all eligible voters in Utah to be targeted by the federal government, chilling civic engagement.

“This lawsuit threatens to expose sensitive voter information that Utahns provided in good faith to participate in our elections," said Katharine Biele, President of the League of Women Voters of Utah. "Voter data should be used to administer elections, not to fuel federal overreach that seeks to undermine trust by usurping Utah’s credible system. The League of Women Voters of Utah is stepping in to protect voters’ privacy and ensure every Utahn can engage in our democracy without fear.”

“The Department of Justice’s attempt to access state voter files attacks voter privacy and could lead to the misuse of personal data," said Caren Short, Director of Legal and Research for the League of Women Voters. "Efforts like this risk further reducing participation, particularly among communities that already face barriers to the ballot. The League of Women Voters is committed to defending voters’ rights and ensuring that our elections remain secure, accessible, and free from intimidation.”

“Utah’s election system is safe, secure, and efficient,” said Jason M. Groth, Legal Director for the ACLU of Utah. “The federal government does not run elections. There is no lawful or legitimate reason to hand over sensitive voter information to federal agencies with no role in administering our elections. We are taking legal action to protect Utahns’ constitutional right to vote freely and fairly—without federal overreach.”

A copy of the complaint is here.

A copy of this release is here.

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