The Department of Justice has issued a warning to Utah election officials, stating that they could face criminal liability if noncitizens are knowingly allowed to remain on the state's voter rolls or cast ballots.
In a letter to Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson, the state's chief election official, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon outlined federal election law and requested that Utah explain within five days how it plans to comply.
The letter serves as a notice of the federal laws applicable to state and local election officials to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections.
Any election officer, including the chief election officer of the state, who knowingly retains noncitizens on the state's voter registration list or facilitates noncitizens in receiving and casting ballots could be subject to criminal liability.
The warning comes as part of the Trump administration's broader effort to verify voter eligibility and enforce federal election laws.
Earlier this year, Utah completed an audit of more than two million voter registrations, with 99.72 percent of registered voters verified as U.S. citizens and 27 alleged noncitizens and 25 probable noncitizens identified for further review.
The Justice Department has filed similar lawsuits in numerous states seeking access to voter registration records, arguing that the information is necessary to ensure compliance with federal election law and protect the integrity of voter rolls.
The case remains pending in federal court, with Utah Attorney General Derek Brown's office representing Lieutenant Governor Henderson in the ongoing lawsuit.
