Voter privacy status could change for some 300K Utahns. Here’s what you need to know
Voter privacy status could change for some 300K Utahns. Here’s what you need to know
Publish Date: 2026-04-03 20:12:00
Source Domain: www.ksl.com
SALT LAKE CITY — Some 300,000 Utahns could see changes to their voter registration privacy status next month thanks to a new law changing who can classify their information as “private.”
For years, Utah has allowed voters to mark their registration information as “private” or “withheld,” meaning some information would not be made public to political parties, campaigns or others who pay to access the voter registration list. That information includes their full name, voter identification number, residential address, voter status and party affiliation.
It also includes a vote history of which recent elections each voter participated in, but does not disclose how they voted.
But thanks to SB153, which was signed into law last month and takes effect in May, most Utah voters will be required to have their information public. Utahns who have classified their records as private prior to April 6 without giving a reason will have their records made public unless they provide proof that they fit several categories in order to be classified as an at-risk voter.
The law provides a few exceptions for at-risk voters such as those who have been a victim or live with a victim of domestic or intimate partner violence, members of law enforcement and the armed forces, public figures who have received threats and anyone protected by a court order.
This week, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson sent letters to those 300,000 voters who could be impacted by the change, explaining the new law and how they can request to be designated an at-risk voter in order to keep their records private.
“We don’t want anyone to worry when they see a letter from our office in their mailbox,” Henderson said. “The individuals receiving notices have previously opted in to voter registration privacy protections, and we want to make sure they understand how this new law may affect them.”
She noted that personal identifying information such as full date of birth, driver’s license number, state identification number and…
