Voter Privacy in Utah, Congressional Races, & $1B for the Great Salt Lake

Episode 30 April 10, 2026 00:26:20
Voter Privacy in Utah, Congressional Races, & $1B for the Great Salt Lake
The Hinckley Report
Voter Privacy in Utah, Congressional Races, & $1B for the Great Salt Lake

Apr 10 2026 | 00:26:20

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Show Notes

A change in Utah law means the voter registration information of hundreds of thousands of Utahns could soon be made public. Host Jason Perry leads a discussion examining the change, and what this means for some voters. Plus, the campaigns for Utah's 4 congressional seats are heating up.

THE DEEPER DIVE:

• ️ A change to Utah law regarding voter registration information is making headlines this week. Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson sent letters to the approximately 300,000 voters who will be impacted. Previously, Utah voters could choose to keep their voter registration data private, but the state legislature passed a bill in the most recent legislative session requiring that voters apply for an exemption. Our panel evaluates how this could change the dynamics of elections in the Beehive State moving forward.
• ⚖️ That change comes amid a legal fight between Utah and the federal government over the state's voter rolls. The Trump administration wants Utah to hand over all voter registrations, including sensitive data like social security numbers. But the Lieutenant Governor has refused, citing state law that would prevent her from doing so. We look at arguments on both side of the debate.
• Campaigning for Utah's four congressional seats is kicking into high gear. The Republican and Democratic parties will both hold their nominating conventions at the end of the month, and several candidates have already qualified for the primary ballot through signature gathering. We discuss the unique intra-party challengers facing incumbents this year.
• Pres. Donald Trump has earmarked $1 billion in his proposed budget for the next fiscal year to help save the Great Salt Lake. But that doesn't mean the funding will actually be approved. Our panel examines the politics that could keep it from passing, and how Utah managed to get to this point.

️ FEATURING:
• McKenzie Romero – Editor, Utah News Dispatch
• Brigham Tomco – Reporter, Deseret News
• Sean Higgins – Reporter, KUER News

Funding for The Hinckley Report is made possible in part by the Cleone Peterson Eccles Endowment Fund and by the financial contributions of PBS Utah members. If you would like to support the work we do, please visit https://pbsutah.org/supporthinckley

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