by Tom Joyce
Arizona’s newest voting law requiring a citizenship certification faces two legal challenges.
Late last week, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) and Barton Mendez Soto PLLC filed the lawsuit on behalf of Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Arizona Students’ Association (ASA), and the Arizona Democracy Resource Center (ADRC). The organizations say that the state’s new measures to ensure that registered voters are U.S. Citizens restrict the right to vote in the state.
“The law’s new registration requirements discriminate against voters such as college and university students, married people who change their name and naturalized citizens, creating unnecessary barriers that prevent them from freely exercising their right to vote,” a press release from CLC said.
“The lawsuit also alleges that H.B. 2492 targets naturalized citizens,” it continued. “The law requires voters to disclose their place of their birth when they register to vote — a fact that is irrelevant to voter eligibility. It also requires election officials to reject voter registration applications based on unreliable and outdated citizenship data, which will disproportionately burden naturalized citizens and subject them to potential criminal investigation and prosecution.”
Arizona Doug Ducey signed House Bill 2492 into law on Wednesday last week. It says that county election officials have to check people’s citizenship and proof of residency against several different databases. If they cannot be confirmed, they will not be able to vote in the presidential election or by mail.
“Election integrity means counting every lawful vote and prohibiting any attempt to illegally cast a vote,” Ducey said last week. This bill “is a balanced approach that honors Arizona’s history of making voting accessible without sacrificing security in our elections.”
Another federal lawsuit, filed on behalf of Mi Familia Vota, lodges similar allegations over the constitutionality of HB 2492.
The bill passed along partisan lines. Democrats who opposed the bill said that they would challenge it if passed.
“We are voting on a bill that is unconstitutional and has a tremendous impact on the voters of the state of Arizona,” Sen. MartÃn Quezada, D-Phoenix, said in debate. “There are many provisions in this bill that are offensive, and that will have a negative impact on some communities more than others.”
– – –
Tom Joyce contributes to The Center Square.
Photo “People Voting” by Phil Roeder. CC BY 2.0.
