Already under investigation by President Donald Trump's Justice Department for refusing to hand over private voter data, Utah's Republican lieutenant governor is sharpening her criticism of attempts by Trump and his allies to reshape election rules ahead of the midterm elections.

Deidre Henderson, who serves as Utah's chief election officer, told KUER that moving quickly to impose new voting requirements weeks before the November election could disenfranchise voters and sow confusion.

The standoff reflects the decentralized structure of American election administration, in which states — not the federal government — maintain voter rolls and run the day-to-day mechanics of voting, putting state officials like Henderson directly in the path of the administration's push.

Henderson directed particular criticism at the move to put the SAVE Act into immediate effect. The legislation, known formally as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act and backed by Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee, would create new proof-of-citizenship requirements for voters.

She said the goal of implementing such far-reaching changes all at once is “just to disenfranchise people.”

“And that’s crappy,” Henderson said. “That should not happen. That’s despicable.”

Henderson, a Republican representing one of the nation's most reliably red states, has grown increasingly at odds with the Trump administration over election matters.

The Justice Department has asked Utah to turn over its complete voter registration list, which would include private details. Henderson has declined, arguing that the federal government has no legal right to obtain the protected data.

Last month, Henderson learned that the Department of Justice was investigating her over that refusal. The department warned that she could face civil or criminal sanctions if she failed to preserve relevant records. Henderson, however, shows no intention of backing down.

“I’ll comply with anything that’s lawful, of course,” she told KUER. “I don’t think their request is lawful, and 23 courts now have agreed with me.”

Utah's Republican governor, Spencer Cox, has backed her resistance, saying disputes between the state and the federal government should be settled in court.

“It is wrong for the DOJ to investigate or threaten the lieutenant governor for carrying out her responsibilities under Utah law,” Cox said in September.

Henderson has also pushed back against the Trump administration's attempts to change mail-in voting procedures. Alongside election officials from both Republican and Democratic states, she has opposed a Postal Service rule they argued would be nearly impossible to carry out before the midterms without producing errors and delays.

Utah has relied heavily on voting by mail for many years, and Henderson has repeatedly defended the system as secure.

What troubles her most, she said, is the political “gamesmanship” surrounding voting rules.

“There are so many forces — forces much greater than me, greater than the Legislature, greater than our state — that are trying to muck things up for our voters,” Henderson said.

She said she does not know what the administration's “end game” is, but cautioned that the consequences are already visible.

“I don’t think it matters, even if the motivations are really good, right?” Henderson said of the Trump administration's demands. “The chaos and confusion that’s being created, the guardrails that are being destroyed — it’s not worth any motivation.”