Deidre Henderson

Rule Changes

Prevailed; DOJ suit dismissed with prejudice

A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit demanding Utah's statewide voter registration list on October 23. U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow ruled the Civil Rights Act of 1960 doesn't require the state to disclose voters' dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and addresses, and he threw out the case with prejudice.

Updated 1 hour ago

Rule Changes

Said on September 26, 2026, that Utah would not purge its voter rolls using the federal citizenship database.

The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling on August 24 let most of President Trump's voter-list order take effect. Two days later the Postal Service published a final rule requiring election officials to submit mail-ballot envelope designs for federal review and to upload each voter's name, address and barcode to a federal portal.

Updated 3 days ago

Rule Changes

Says Salt Lake County will receive federal monitors and state poll-watcher rules apply

Justice Department officials have told counties in at least six states to expect federal election monitors on November 3, including Douglas County in Colorado and Salt Lake County, Utah. The department plans roughly 1,000 observers, about triple the number of monitors in the 2022 midterm.

Updated 4 days ago

New Capabilities

Oversees the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, which issues apostilles

Utahns who need to certify documents for use abroad no longer have to travel to the state Capitol or mail sensitive paperwork. Since September 3, they can submit and receive apostille certificates entirely online, making Utah the first state with a fully digital authentication process.

Updated Sep 5

Rule Changes

Oversees Utah elections; issued the 2026 opt-in alert

Utah will stop automatically mailing ballots to every active registered voter in 2029. About 95% of Utahns now vote by mail, and under a 2025 law they'll need to opt in to keep receiving a ballot.

Updated Sep 3