Judge Rejects Arizona Group’s Bid to Investigate Citizenship of 42,000 Federal-Only Voters

The judge ruled that the group does not have the authority to request citizenship checks and that federal law prohibits voter list maintenance within 90 days of an election. U.S. District Judge Krissa Lanham denied a motion by Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona to compel county officials to verify the citizenship status of over 40,000 registered voters before the upcoming general election. The lawsuit revolves around Arizona’s voter registration system, where individuals can vote in all elections if they provide proof of citizenship, but can register for federal elections by signing an avowal under penalty of perjury if they lack such proof. The judge found that Strong Communities lacks standing to challenge the alleged failure of county officials to conduct citizenship checks. Even if they had standing, the request to compel county recorders to verify citizenship was deemed unfeasible so close to the election due to federal law restrictions. The lawsuit aimed to restore public trust in Arizona’s electoral system by ensuring proper voter list maintenance, but the judge ruled against the plaintiffs. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer argued that the state’s current verification efforts are sufficient and disputed the assumption that federal-only voters are noncitizens attempting voter fraud. Merissa Hamilton of Strong Communities stated that their attorneys are evaluating the ruling. Please rewrite this sentence.

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