Supreme Court Nods to GOP, Endorses Proof of Citizenship for Arizona Voting Law

Clear Facts

• The Supreme Court has declared a partial victory to Republicans in a 5-4 decision, enabling enforcement of sections of an Arizona law that mandates proof of citizenship for voting, including for mail-in ballots.
• The Republican Party of Arizona submitted an emergency appeal after a federal judge halted applying the law, leading to an emergency stay with the Supreme Court.
• The 2022 state law necessitating proof of citizenship to vote, currently on hold, was contested by civil rights groups and the Arizona Democratic Party following a 2013 Supreme Court ruling that restricted when such constraints could be applied in federal elections.

In a noteworthy ruling on Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court leaned towards the GOP’s efforts to enforce proof of citizenship for voting in Arizona. This ruling facilitates the implementation of sections of the Arizona law that require validated proof of citizenship to cast a vote in the presidential election, including voting by mail.

The Arizona segment of the Republican Party announced on August 15 that it had submitted an emergency appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit. This was a reaction to a federal judge’s verdict to stop the enforcement of HB 2492, a law that necessitates proof of citizenship to participate in presidential voting.

“The Constitution grants states the power to set voter qualifications, and Arizona is at the forefront of ensuring ONLY CITIZENS vote in our elections,” the Arizona GOP stated. “This case could potentially prevent non-citizen voting once and for all, which should have been the standard from the beginning.”

The Republican National Committee has made an emergency application for a stay, arguing that the integrity of the vote is a “problem” that has been neglected for too long. They maintain that this issue is particularly amplified by the presence of numerous “illegal aliens” in the country.

When it came time to decide, Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch favored granting the application fully. Conversely, Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Barrett, and Jackson supported a full denial of the application.

In a move seen as a compromise, Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kavanaugh cast their decisive votes. They bridged the gap between the two opposing sides, providing a partial victory to the GOP.

The law mandating proof of citizenship to vote, which has been delayed for 2022, was contested by civil rights groups and the Arizona Democratic Party. They voiced their opposition following a Supreme Court ruling in 2013 that limited the conditions under which such restrictions could be enacted for federal elections.

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