Arizona residents attempting to register to vote with a commonly used state form will now need to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or face rejection of their registration, following a temporary ruling from a federal appeals court on Thursday.
Previously, those without citizenship documents could use the state form to register and vote in federal elections, but the new decision mandates proof of citizenship, aligning state and federal requirements.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a partial stay on a lower court ruling, maintaining the requirement for citizenship proof for state form registrants. This stay will remain until the case is heard by an appeals panel in September. The decision disrupts the voter registration practices established by a 2018 consent decree, requiring officials accept state forms regardless of proof of citizenship.
The case arose after Arizona Republicans enacted laws in 2022 restricting how federal-only voters could participate in elections and requiring frequent citizenship checks. A coalition of voting rights groups challenged these laws, claiming they were discriminatory and violated federal voting laws. The U.S. District Court of Arizona initially ruled in May that significant portions of the 2022 statutes were indeed in violation of federal law.
The appeals court's temporary stay only partially grants the Republicans' request to suspend the lower court's ruling. It preserves the requirement for citizenship proof for state form registrants while the appeal is pending. This ruling is seen by Republican leaders as a step towards bolstering election integrity, while voter registration groups suggest it may encourage the use of the federal voter registration form for those without immediate access to citizenship documentation.
