Judge Barlow Rejects DOJ Bid for Utah Voter Database

District Judge David Barlow dismissed the Department of Justice's lawsuit against Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson on Friday, ending a federal effort to obtain a comprehensive list of Utah voters. The ruling denies the administration access to detailed records that include names, birthdays, addresses, and partial driver's license or Social Security numbers.

The Justice Department initiated the legal action by arguing that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 mandates state officials to make voting records available for federal inspection. The department claimed that Henderson, as the state's top election official, possessed these records and was therefore required to surrender the statewide voter-registration database. The suit sought to use the data as an enforcement tool for federal election laws.

Barlow, who was nominated to the federal bench by President Donald Trump in 2019, rejected the government's interpretation. He cited a Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that stated an ordinary person would not say an official has come into possession of a dataset she created and maintained. The judge argued that the statutory language did not support the broad scope of data the federal lawyers requested.

The department attempted to broaden the interpretation by focusing on the purpose of the law rather than its specific text. However, Barlow wrote that judges have no warrant to elevate vague invocations of statutory purpose over the words Congress chose. He dismissed the complaint with prejudice, a legal designation that prevents the DOJ from simply refiling the same claim in the same court.

This decision represents the 26th defeat the Trump administration has faced in its voter-roll litigation campaign. The department has pursued these cases to address alleged illegal voting, though it has not yet uncovered evidence of widespread fraud. Three related cases remain pending in Hawaii, Idaho, and Delaware, while appeals are underway in California and Oregon.

A DOJ spokeswoman confirmed the department intends to appeal the decision. She noted that the only appellate court to review similar issues split on largely partisan grounds, with five judges signing dissents from the denial of en banc review. Henderson responded to the ruling on Threads, stating her office would continue to safeguard the fundamental right to free, fair, and secure elections for Utah residents.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment regarding the dismissal. The next step in the legal process is an appeal to a higher court, where the department will argue that the lower court misinterpreted the Civil Rights Act of 1960.