By McKenzie Romero | Editor
Ballots are hitting Utah mailboxes this week. But 4,300 registered voters in the state won’t find any state or local races, only federal ones.
That’s because a law passed by the Legislature this year requires Utahns to show documentation proving their citizenship in order to vote in state races (there’s no such requirement for federal elections). In all, election officials have been trying to track down 6,191 people to get their information.
In today’s Dispatch we look at the law that will keep state races off some Utahns’ ballots, the bipartisan energy permitting bill backed by Sen. Mike Lee, and the lawsuits from Idaho and other states claiming ChatGPT has harmed children and deceived adults.
“Voter rolls are always changing and we are continually working with county clerks to keep them updated — including verifying citizenship.” — The Utah lieutenant governor’s office about the voters who received federal only ballots because their voter registration doesn’t include proof of citizenship.
A voter drops off a ballot on primary Election Day at the Salt Lake County Government Center on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (Photo by Marco Lozzi for Utah News Dispatch)
By Katie McKellar
Of at least 6,191 Utah voters who state election officials have notified that they need to provide proof of their U.S. citizenship before this year’s November election, only 1,827 have responded and confirmed their citizenship, according to Utah’s lieutenant governor’s office.
Critics of the new law argued it would create unnecessary barriers for Utah voters and potentially disenfranchise them even if they’re eligible — especially elderly voters who have stayed on Utah’s voter rolls for decades but now may not have the documentation on hand to continue voting in all elections.
Wind turbines generate electricity at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
DC BUREAU
By David Lightman
Top Republican and Democratic senators — including GOP Utah Sen. Mike Lee — have unveiled a 417-page bill to overhaul the approval process for new energy projects, a pathway for what’s known as “permitting reform.” A debate is likely when lawmakers return for their lame-duck session in November, though getting to a finish line anytime soon won’t be easy.
Reformers will have to fight environmental groups, who tend to appreciate today’s detailed, often lengthy process for reviewing energy projects. They worry that streamlining reviews will make it easier for energy-gulping and air-and-water-polluting projects to proceed.
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador speaks in Boise on June 9, 2026. (Photo by Sgt. Rusty Rehl/U.S. Army National Guard)
IDAHO CAPITAL SUN
By Laura Guido
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador joined seven other states in announcing separate lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging the company’s chatbot ChatGPT harm.
Idaho’s 107-page lawsuit alleges that the company has harmed Idaho children and deceived adults in violation of the Idaho Consumer Protection Act. The state’s attorneys want the company to pay $5,000 to the state for each violation of the law, and pay actual damages and restitution.
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