Court requires citizenship proof for new voters
PHOENIX — A federal judge on
Wednesday ordered the Election Assistance Commission to require would-be
Arizona voters to provide proof of citizenship when they register.
Judge Eric Melgren ruled that Alice Miller, the federal commission’s acting director, acted illegally in refusing to amend its own voter registration forms to comply with Proposition 200, a 2004 voter-approved Arizona law linking citizenship proof to voting. He said Miller cannot substitute her own judgment of what is necessary to prove citizenship for what the state, through its elected leaders and voters, has decided.
Wednesday’s ruling is a setback for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which had argued on behalf of several groups that the Arizona requirement undermines their voter-registration drives. Unless overturned, it could complicate the ability to register new voters who may not be carrying or have access to the kind of proof Arizona requires.
MALDEF attorney Nina Perales promised an appeal.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has already spoken on this issue and ruled that state laws like Prop 200 must yield to federal law,” she said.
But Attorney General Tom Horne called it a key victory in preventing voter registration fraud.
“This order compels action immediately,” he said of Melgren’s direction to the EAC. “So we’re going to make sure that only citizens vote in the 2014 election.”
And Horne said there is no conflict between Wednesday’s ruling and prior Supreme Court rulings.
He also claimed that there really is a problem in Arizona.
“There’s been a cover-up by the media of the extent to which voter fraud is a problem in Arizona,” he said. He said some reporters — he would not say who — have ignored the original findings of U.S. District Court Judge Roslyn Silver, which he said “concluded voter fraud is a significant problem in Arizona.”
Silver’s 2009 ruling upholding the proof-of-citizenship requirement, however, says only that the state “demonstrated instances of voter fraud in Arizona.” She did say though that Proposition 200, the 2004 measure, “enhances the accuracy of Arizona’s voter rolls and ensures that the rights of lawful voters are not debased by unlawfully cast ballots.”
AZ court requires citizenship proof for new voters
Judge Eric Melgren ruled that Alice Miller, the federal commission’s acting director, acted illegally in refusing to amend its own voter registration forms to comply with Proposition 200, a 2004 voter-approved Arizona law linking citizenship proof to voting. He said Miller cannot substitute her own judgment of what is necessary to prove citizenship for what the state, through its elected leaders and voters, has decided.
Wednesday’s ruling is a setback for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which had argued on behalf of several groups that the Arizona requirement undermines their voter-registration drives. Unless overturned, it could complicate the ability to register new voters who may not be carrying or have access to the kind of proof Arizona requires.
MALDEF attorney Nina Perales promised an appeal.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has already spoken on this issue and ruled that state laws like Prop 200 must yield to federal law,” she said.
But Attorney General Tom Horne called it a key victory in preventing voter registration fraud.
“This order compels action immediately,” he said of Melgren’s direction to the EAC. “So we’re going to make sure that only citizens vote in the 2014 election.”
And Horne said there is no conflict between Wednesday’s ruling and prior Supreme Court rulings.
He also claimed that there really is a problem in Arizona.
“There’s been a cover-up by the media of the extent to which voter fraud is a problem in Arizona,” he said. He said some reporters — he would not say who — have ignored the original findings of U.S. District Court Judge Roslyn Silver, which he said “concluded voter fraud is a significant problem in Arizona.”
Silver’s 2009 ruling upholding the proof-of-citizenship requirement, however, says only that the state “demonstrated instances of voter fraud in Arizona.” She did say though that Proposition 200, the 2004 measure, “enhances the accuracy of Arizona’s voter rolls and ensures that the rights of lawful voters are not debased by unlawfully cast ballots.”
AZ court requires citizenship proof for new voters
i dnt gt why u hav to vote wit a citizenship bcuz for one voting is free. the people should Hve argued a lttle bit harder bcuz for one she shouldve gave them an appeal and everything. bt to me thy shuld nt link citizenship wit the votings rights
ReplyDeleteI think that they are going into extreme measures for somebody to vote. There is so many people in the U.S living here,most are immigrants that came here looking for a better future, they are a part of the U.S. They are civilians, if they live in our community why not let them voice their opinion? They're as much of a civilian as the next person without citizenship. What's the difference? A nine digit number? A piece of paper? Nevertheless, the United States will forever continue to argue about this topic.. but I don't think they should go to such extreme measures for voting.
ReplyDelete- Jeralin Banyon 7th period
ReplyDeleteI never knew that some places have voter frauds. I personally think that everyone should vote. By voting, you can change the world. You can make the world a lil bit better. It's a lot of people that can't even get the chance to vote and they really want to. I think there shouldn't be any voter frauds.
I disagree with this article. I think everybody have the right to vote.
ReplyDeleteTyra Lewis
5th Period