Sep 21, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Arizona Supreme Court OKs nearly 100K people to vote after citizenship proof glitch

Illustration of a hand holding a ballot about to vote surrounded by an outline of the state of Arizona on a striped background that fades from red to purple. — Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The Arizona Supreme Court decided on Friday to allow nearly 100,000 people who registered to vote over the last 20 years to keep the right to vote a full ballot after a lawsuit stemming from a glitch raised concerns.

Why it matters: Officials say most of the swing state voters whose rights were in question are likely U.S. citizens but failed to meet the state's proof-of-citizenship requirement enacted by a law passed in 2004.

Zoom in: Arizona voters without proof of citizenship are only allowed to vote in federal races, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, whose office launched the suit on Tuesday, says on X.

"Unfortunately, the way the system was designed allowed for one group of voters through the cracks," he says.

Case in point: When drivers licensed before 1996 lost their licenses and got duplicates later, the system updated the issuance date.

This led to false confirmations of citizenship documentation, Richer says, later praising the court decision.

What they're saying: Secretary of State Adrian Fontes called the decision "a significant victory for those whose fundamental right to vote was under scrutiny."

"The court faced a stark choice: to allow voters to participate in just a few federal races on a limited ballot, or to make their voices heard across hundreds of decisions on a full ballot that includes a variety of local and state offices," Fontes said, adding his appreciation.

Go deeper:

Add Axios on Google

Arizona Supreme Court OKs nearly 100K people to vote after citizenship proof glitch

What to read next