Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill Wednesday requiring people to show proof of citizenship in order to vote in presidential elections.
State Rep. Jake Hoffman, a Republican from Queen Creek, Arizona, sponsored House Bill 2492, which will require county recorders to reject voter registration applications that do not include proof of citizenship, setting up a court battle.
“Election integrity means counting every lawful vote and prohibiting any attempt to illegally cast a vote,” Ducey said in a letter following the bill signing. This bill “is a balanced approach that honors Arizona’s history of making voting accessible without sacrificing security in our elections.”
The bill has drawn intense opposition from voting rights advocates who say it is unconstitutional after the Supreme Court in 2013 rejected Arizona’s efforts to require documentary proof of citizenship for voters registering using federal forms, which only require voters to attest that they are citizens. The ruling meant anyone who does not show proof of documentation can only vote in federal elections in Arizona.
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During the bill’s debate in the Arizona House Rules Committee, attorney Jennifer Holder said she could not think of an amendment that would bring the bill into compliance with federal law, according to NBC News.
“As we see it, the Supreme Court case pretty much addressed this scenario,” Holder said.
In crafting the bill, Hoffman reportedly argued that the Supreme Court’s ruling relied on federal constitutional provisions given to Congress for regulating the “times, places, and manner of conducting elections for representatives and senators.” Hoffman contended H.B. 2492 does not require proof for congressional elections but rather presidential.
“This distinction has yet to be presented to the court,” Hoffman said. “So any assertion that it is prima facie unconstitutional based on this provision is patently false.”
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Election integrity has been a hot-button topic in Arizona following the 2020 elections, with many Republicans questioning results showing President Joe Biden defeating former President Donald Trump by less than 11,000 votes statewide.
