Arizona Passes Historic Election Law – In Order to Vote, All Residents Must Show Proof of Citizenship
As we progress toward the midterm elections, one primary issue shifts back into the spotlight: election integrity.
For millions of Americans, this remains a top priority for the country. Many don’t trust the reliability of our election systems, and often question whether or not we can trust reported results.
And one of the most controversial topics involves the question of illegal residents voting.
Republicans and Democrats are often split on the issue, as activists believe forcing someone to show proof of citizenship is “voter suppression.” While most GOP members simply call it legal common sense.
They also say that if no proof is required, it means absolutely anyone – regardless of their citizen status – can vote in any election and help determine the nation’s leadership.
But that isn’t going to happen in one state.
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey just signed a bill designed to bolster election integrity and enforce standard citizenship law. It has already drawn significant backlash from leftists, as one might expect.
Ducey says it’s simply “a balanced approach” that makes voting accessible “without sacrificing security in our elections.”
From Fox News:
Arizona residents will now need to show proof of citizenship in order to vote in a presidential election, sparking anger from some activists.
‘Election integrity means counting every lawful vote and prohibiting any attempt to illegally cast a vote,’ Governor Greg Ducey Said in a letter, explaining his decision to sign the bill Wednesday.
This new bill requires that if someone wants to vote in a presidential election, they must show a valid driver’s license, tribal ID number, or a copy of a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization documents.
They will also need to prove they are a resident of the state, in what many say is just another logical addition to the law.
Drafted by state Rep. Jake Hoffman and developed partly by the Heritage Foundation, the bill exists to erase any chance at widespread fraud. Added Hoffman:
Arizonans will not have to re-register to vote. It will be business as usual for 99.9% of Arizona voters.
This only affects a very small percentage of total voters, and even then, we actually grandfathered in all of those individuals who are already registered to vote that have some form of proof of citizenship on file.
It’s an important bill because currently, Republicans claim that around 31,500 voters have not confirmed their citizenship.
If that’s the case, it means that many thousands of illegal votes could’ve been cast in past elections, and could potentially be cast again in the future. This law seeks to stop this from happening.
However, even though the Governor signed the bill, it’s possible that certain parts of it won’t survive.
Lawyers for the state legislature claim some aspects of this new law are “unconstitutional” and could likely be tossed out in court. Prior to this bill, those 31,500 residents could vote in federal elections, though not state elections.
The bill seeks to change that, but will clearly face court opposition.
Either way, though, many citizens view it as a step in the right direction. Election integrity is paramount moving forward, and voters have to have faith in the stability of the system.
Key Takeaways:
- Arizona passes a historic election integrity bill, just signed this week by Gov. Greg Ducey.
- It requires voters to show proof of citizenship to vote in state and federal elections.
- Lawyers say parts of the bill are “unconstitutional,” and might be thrown out in court.
Source: Fox News