Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled against the Biden DOJ and leftist groups in their lawsuit aimed at halting Arizona’s election integrity laws, which require proof of citizenship and prevent voters from casting ballots in multiple states.
Arizona Republicans passed HB2492, introduced by State Rep. Jake Hoffman, requiring voters to prove their US citizenship to register for any election. This legislation extends to federal-only voters, who were previously exempt from providing proof of citizenship. Former Republican Governor Doug Ducey signed the bill into law in March 2022.
Previously, Joe Biden’s Department of Justice sued Arizona, alleging violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the National Voter Registration Act.
Furthermore, HB2243 aims to clean up voter rolls by removing individuals registered in other states who no longer reside in Arizona. This law proposes adding a statement on voter registration forms indicating that if a registrant permanently relocates to another state after registering in Arizona, their registration will be canceled.
In a ruling grounded in common sense, Arizona Judge Susan Bolton has ruled that a 2022 law requiring proof of citizenship to vote does not qualify as discrimination.
Ensuring that every ballot cast is by a citizen of the country is not unreasonable.
Furthermore, voter ID laws are not “burdensome.” We require IDs for various activities, from purchasing alcohol and cigarettes to opening a bank account.
However, District Judge Susan Bolton accurately concluded that “promoting public confidence in Arizona’s elections outweighs the limited burden voters might encounter when required to provide proof of citizenship.”
Every American must possess some form of government identification — everyone.
To suggest that obtaining valid ID is burdensome or impossible for people, especially those of color, is both racist and insulting.
A common-sense law and huge win for election integrity!
— Brian Babin (@RepBrianBabin) March 5, 2024
Voting in U.S. elections is sacred right that should ONLY be afforded to American citizens. https://t.co/PEa3lyD7Ve
From The Hill:
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton concluded Thursday that state legislators did not discriminate when they adopted the voting laws in 2022, and that the state has an interest in preventing voter fraud, The Associated Press reported.
“Considering the evidence as a whole, the court concludes that Arizona’s interests in preventing non-citizens from voting and promoting public confidence in Arizona’s elections outweighs the limited burden voters might encounter when required to provide [documentary proof of citizenship],” Bolton wrote.
She said part of the law, which requires individuals using a state registration form to include the state or country where they were born, violated part of the Civil Rights Act and the National Voter Registration Act “because the provision will result in the investigation of only naturalized citizens” based on the county recorder’s beliefs that a naturalized citizen is a noncitizen.
The Justice Department, the Democratic National Committee and voting groups filed legal challenges to the bills, signed into law by former Gov. Doug Ducey (R), arguing they were racially discriminatory.
Kari Lake told Newsmax’s Eric Bolling that, “It’s absurd it takes a court ruling to affirm that only American citizens can vote in elections.”
"A federal judge ruled a new Arizona law requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship is not discriminatory… Kari Lake told Newsmax it’s absurd it takes a court ruling to affirm that only American citizens can vote in elections." https://t.co/ylkhX7PgK9
— Kari Lake War Room (@KariLakeWarRoom) March 2, 2024
Newsmax featured these comments from Arizona candidate Kari Lake:
“It’s crazy,” Lake told “Eric Bolling The Balance” on Friday. “We have to go to court just to solidify the law.
We want to make sure that American citizens are able to vote and they’re able to cast their ballots and we don’t want to infringe on that.”
