Court Lets Arizona Reject Would-Be Voters Who Fail To Prove Citizenship On State Registration Form

A three-judge panel on Thursday allowed Arizona to enforce a law that requires state voter registration forms that lack documentary proof of citizenship to be rejected. The court stayed an injunction that had forced the state to register those applicants as federal-only voters.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled that “appellants … have satisfied the standard for a stay pending appeal with respect to the portion of the injunction barring enforcement of A.R.S § 16-121.01(C). “

Section 16-121.01(C), which the court ruled may be enforced, stipulates that “any application for [state] registration shall be accompanied by satisfactory evidence of citizenship … and the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall reject any application for registration that is not accompanied by satisfactory evidence of citizenship.”

The ruling means that county recorders are no longer required to register an applicant as a federal-only voter if he tried to register with a state form but could not prove his citizenship. The panel did deny Republicans’ request to prevent individuals who used a federal registration form from voting in the presidential race and voting by mail.

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