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Arizona Fearlessly Passes Proof of Citizenship Law For Voters
On Wednesday, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation requiring voters to show proof of citizenship during presidential elections. The bill requires this proof before residents can vote in presidential elections or cast a mail-in ballot.
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In a letter explaining his support for the bill, Ducey said that the new law will help prevent illegal votes. “Election integrity means counting every lawful vote and prohibiting any attempt to illegally cast a vote,” he wrote.
In addition, Ducey said that the measure will address the increasing number of registrants who have yet to provide proof of citizenship to election officials.
In 2020, there are over 11,000 voters who did not submit this requirement. Coincidentally, President Joe Biden won the elections in Arizona by less than 11,000 votes. Most voters sent their votes by mail.
Opponents To Challenge Constitutionality of Proof of Citizenship Requirement
However, the new law will likely face challenges from detractors. Previous court rulings decided that an older version of this rule violated federal law.
Specifically, they referred to the National Voter Registration Act. This act requires voters to swear under penalty of perjury that they are citizens of the USA. However, the rule does not require documented proof of citizenship.
Meanwhile, Alex Gulotta, Arizona state director at All Voting Is Local, also opposes the measure. He said that this new law will disenfranchise eligible voters.
Gulotta also said that lawmakers based this law on debunked conspiracy theories. He said that the bill will prevent eligible people from voting. “It’s being done based on lies and conspiracy theories that have been completely debunked,” he claimed.
Aftermath of 2020 Elections
During the 2020 Presidential elections, Arizona Republicans kept questioning the integrity of the votes, In fact, State Senate Republicans managed to successfully call for a ballot review in Maricopa County the following year.
To help improve the integrity of Arizona elections, state lawmakers proposed a number of election bills this year. The proof of citizenship law will take effect prior to the November midterm elections.
However, critics of the bill said they still intend to contest the new law. A state House of Representatives' rules attorney testified that the law violates the National Voter Registration Act.
The NVRA requires voters to register using only a federal form and swear under oath on their citizenship. It does not require documentary proof of citizenship.
Supreme Court Case Already Addressed This Issue
A state representative then asked the attorney, Jennifer Holder, if there was an amendment to make the bill compliant. Holder said there is nothing at the moment. “As we see it, the Supreme Court case pretty much addressed this scenario,” Holder said.
An earlier 2103 Supreme Court ruling said that Arizona cannot force voters who registered using federal forms to provide proof of citizenship.
In contrast, Arizona requires voters registering on state forms to provide citizenship IDs like driver’s licenses or US passports. Hence, voters who do not submit proof of citizenship can only vote in federal elections.
Watch the Fox 10 Phoenix News video reporting that the New Arizona law will require voters to prove citizenship and residency:
Loading ...Do you agree or disagree with the new Arizona law requiring voters to submit proof of citizenship? In addition, do you think this will help weed out ineligible voters and prevent voter fraud?
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