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Senate advances bill tightening voter-data access, carves exception for Huntsman research
Summary
The Utah Senate approved a second substitute to S.B. 74 to limit commercial access to voter lists while creating a narrow exception for specified research by the Huntsman Institute; senators raised questions about party and commercial data access and privacy safeguards.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate on the floor advanced a second substitute to S.B. 74 on voter-data access, adopting language that limits who can obtain identifying voter-list details while creating a narrowly drawn exception to allow certain research by the Huntsman Institute.
The sponsor told colleagues the intent is to protect citizens’ privacy after past incidents in which outside actors purchased and published state voter information. The sponsor said the bill will withhold day-and-month birth details from purchasers and limit access to organizations meeting strict statutory criteria, with a special, subject-to-application exception for the Huntsman Institute to support research tied to its institutional mission.
Senator Weiler asked whether political parties and large commercial data services had been consulted before the change and specifically referenced firms used for background checks. "Has there been communications with the parties?" he asked, seeking confirmation that stakeholders had reviewed the proposal.
Senator Harper said she supported the first substitute but worried the second substitute went too far in creating automatic research access: "I am uncomfortable with the second 1 because... now we can go through and give to research institution all this information. Whether we want to be part of their research and their studies, we're now being included without our permission. I am not in support of the second substitute because I think it impinges upon our privacy and our rights of, association." The Senate sponsor responded that the exception was crafted narrowly and that clerks and parties had not raised objections in prior work on similar protections.
After debate, the Senate voted to read the substitute for a third time; the clerk recorded 23 yea votes and 5 absent. The bill will be read a third time for final passage procedures and, if enacted, would change statutory access to voter lists while explicitly preserving a route for applied research under constrained conditions.
The sponsor’s floor explanation and the questions about commercial data vendors and party consultation suggest lawmakers expect continued scrutiny as the bill moves toward final passage and implementation.
