Supreme Court partly grants GOP request to enforce Arizona’s proof-of-citizenship voting law

In what is likely to be one of many election-related disputes to come before the court ahead of the November election, the justices allowed for one of three provisions of the state law to be enforced. More than 40,000 people have registered to vote in federal elections in Arizona without providing proof of citizenship, although state officials say most are inactive voters, and only a small number will likely be affected. But the court kept on hold separate provisions challenged by the Biden administration that would prevent people without proof of citizenship from voting in presidential elections or by mail if they registered to vote using a different, federal registration form. It creates confusion for voters,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said in a statement. “While Democrats have worked to undermine basic election safeguards and make it easier for non-citizens to vote, we have fought tooth and nail to preserve citizenship requirements, see the law enforced, and secure our elections,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. Arizona’s 2022 law, which has never been enforced, was itself a response to a 2013 Supreme Court ruling that invalidated an earlier attempt to impose a proof-of-citizenship requirement. Then, the Supreme Court said the National Voter Registration Act prevents states from adding additional requirements to forms people have to fill out to vote in federal elections. In the ruling’s aftermath, Arizona enforced its proof-of-citizenship requirement for state elections, but not federal elections. This effectively created a tiered registration process, whereby certain prospective voters can register to vote in federal elections only. While the Biden administration objected to the new provisions requiring proof of citizenship to vote for president or vote by mail, other plaintiffs, including voting rights groups, brought their own challenge focusing on the state registration form. The RNC, joined by Republican leaders in the Legislature, said in court papers that the lower court ruling was “an unprecedented abrogation of the Arizona Legislature’s sovereign authority to determine the qualifications of voters and structure participation in its elections.” Fontes had said that many of the more than 40,000 people who had registered to vote in federal elections only were likely students, service members and Native Americans who did not have birth certificates at hand when registering to vote. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, representing the Biden administration, said in her court filing that “judicial intervention at this stage would undermine the orderly administration of the election, risking the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters who have already registered to vote.” – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-partly-grants-gop-request-enforce-arizonas-proof-citizen-rcna167192