The Republican National Committee (RNC) is advocating for Arizona’s proof of citizenship law to remain in effect for the upcoming election. The RNC has requested the Supreme Court to prevent 41,000 registered voters from participating in the November presidential election due to alleged lack of proof of U.S. citizenship.
Arizona is a crucial battleground state that could have a significant impact on the election outcome. In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden won Arizona by a narrow margin of 10,457 votes.
The recent filing in RNC v. Mi Familia Vota comes after the RNC’s emergency application to the court on Aug. 8. The respondent, Mi Familia Vota, is a nonprofit organization active in Arizona and other states.
The case revolves around Arizona laws H.B. 2492 and H.B. 2243, approved by the state Legislature in 2022. These laws mandate individuals registering to vote in the state to provide “satisfactory” proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. They also require registrants to disclose their state or country of birth and mandate counties to verify citizenship and remove noncitizens from voter rolls.
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton suspended enforcement of the proof of citizenship requirement on May 2, citing the federal Motor Voter Law and a previous state court order. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld Bolton’s decision by a vote of 2-1 on Aug. 1.
The RNC argues that federal rules should not override the Arizona Legislature’s authority to set voter qualifications and election participation rules. They oppose the invocation of the Purcell Principle, which suggests that courts should avoid changing election rules close to an election to prevent confusion.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has urged the Supreme Court to reject the RNC’s application, citing the proximity of the election and the potential impact of last-minute policy changes on voter participation and processing.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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