Arizona's heated battle over voter citizenship checks has reached a boiling point, with a judge delivering a crushing blow to advocates pushing for stricter election integrity measures.
In a closely watched case, a judge rejected a request that would have required Arizona's 15 counties to verify the citizenship of some 42,000 voters registered only to vote in federal elections in the presidential battleground state. This decision is seen as a major setback for those seeking to ensure that only eligible citizens have a say in the upcoming elections.
The ruling, issued in response to a challenge from an election watchdog group, determined that the requested citizenship checks were not constitutionally required. The plaintiffs, citing concerns about the potential for ineligible individuals to cast votes in key federal contests, had argued that these verifications were essential to safeguard the integrity of Arizona's electoral process.
But in rejecting the request, the judge found that those who sought the checks failed to provide sufficient evidence of potential voter eligibility issues. Furthermore, the court emphasized the potential administrative burden that mandating such checks would impose on local election officials. Given the proximity to the presidential election, concerns about adding new requirements that could potentially disenfranchise eligible voters also played a role in the court's decision.