Republicans Want Supreme Court to Reinstate Arizona Voter ID Law

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has petitioned the Supreme Court to reinstate key provisions of an Arizona law mandating documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. This request includes requirements for proof of citizenship to vote in presidential elections and to cast mail-in ballots. The move highlights a central issue for Republicans as they gear up for the 2024 campaign, despite a lack of evidence supporting claims of widespread non-citizen voting. Democrats and voting rights advocates argue that the proof of citizenship requirement is unnecessary and could disenfranchise eligible voters who may struggle to obtain documents like birth certificates. The RNC aims to revive the law's stipulations for Arizonans registering to vote with the state’s voter registration form, which were previously blocked by lower courts. These provisions were designed to circumvent a 2013 Supreme Court ruling that limited states' ability to impose such requirements, particularly for those using the federal registration form. The Supreme Court filing, submitted to Justice Elena Kagan, addresses a 2018 consent decree from a separate lawsuit that established protocols for handling voter registrations lacking proof of citizenship. The 2022 law would eliminate these protocols, leading to automatic rejection of such registrations. A trial court had previously struck down the proof-of-citizenship requirement for mail-in and presidential voting, citing the need to maintain the status quo established since 2018. In its appeal, the RNC criticized the 9th Circuit's decision as an "unprecedented abrogation" of state authority over voter qualifications, arguing that the court's ruling undermines election integrity measures. The Republicans contend that the Ninth Circuit's order has hindered the enforcement of laws enacted by the Arizona Legislature over two years ago.