Case Summary
LWVUT intervened in a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice to stop the disclosure of private voter data to the federal government. The Department had sued after the Lieutenant Governor of Utah refused to hand over the private voter data, which included drivers license numbers and the last four digits of voters’ Social Security Numbers. The Department claimed it was entitled to the data under the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
Since the beginning of the second Trump Administration, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued requests for states to provide registered voters’ personal data. This data could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security for criminal and immigration investigations.
Utah was among the states that received these requests. The DOJ requested data that included voters' full name, date of birth, address, driver’s license number, and the last four digits of their Social Security number. The DOJ claimed it was entitled to access the data under the Civil Rights Act of 1960. Along with its request for private voter data, the DOJ also presented the Lieutenant Governor of Utah with a memorandum of understanding. This agreement would entail states handing over the full, unredacted voter file to the federal government, which would then review the file and return it, with the requirement the state purge voters flagged as ineligible and submit the list again for more analysis.
The Lieutenant Governor, who currently administers elections in Utah, declined to provide the requested information or sign the memorandum. On February 26, 2026, the DOJ filed a federal lawsuit, seeking a court order requiring the release of the data under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, claiming that the law entitled it to the data.
On March 18, 2026, the League of Women Voters of Utah (“LWVUT”) intervened to defend voter privacy. The League asserted that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 did not allow DOJ to receive unredacted voter data, and that the department had failed to comply with the act’s requirements to request records from the state.
Litigation is ongoing.
LWV Timeline
DOJ files lawsuit
The DOJ files a federal lawsuit demanding Utah hand over its unredacted voter file, claiming authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
LWVUT moves to intervene
LWVUT asks to intervene in the case to defend voter privacy and members’ privacy.
District court grants LWVUT intervention
The district court grants LWVUT's request to intervene in the case to defend voters' private data.