In a heated legal dispute concerning election integrity in Arizona, tensions have escalated after a recent decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
On August 1, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit reversed a previous ruling that required proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.
The decision, made by a narrow 2-1 vote, now permits individuals to register to vote using a state form without needing to provide citizenship documentation for federal offices such as President and Congress.
The law, passed by Arizona’s Republican-controlled Legislature in 2022, aimed to prevent non-citizens from voting by requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote with the state. An initial emergency stay, issued on July 18 by a different Ninth Circuit panel, had upheld this requirement.
The recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit further weakens the already limited safeguards intended to protect our elections. Previously, while federal ballots could be vulnerable due to the lack of a citizenship proof requirement, there was at least some level of security with state registration forms.
Now, with both federal and state forms no longer requiring proof of citizenship, it’s easier for non-citizens to vote in federal elections. This decision not only undermines