Key Takeaways:
– The Arizona Supreme Court has authorized almost 100,000 voters to receive full ballots without citizenship proof.
– The judgement was given after an administrative oversight was discovered regarding proof of citizenship for these individuals.
– The ruling was viewed as a victory for Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, and other liberal groups in Arizona.
On Friday, the Arizona Supreme Court passed a critical ruling, resolving an administrative oversight that could have impacted the voting rights of nearly 100,000 state residents. The judgement declared that these residents are eligible to receive full ballots for voting—even without citizenship proof.
Impact of the Court’s Decision
This resolution came on the heels of a revelation by election officials, who discovered that about 98,000 Arizonans were registered to vote in local and state elections but had not provided the required proof of citizenship. The Maricopa County Recorder’s office blamed it on a computer error that inaccurately marked these residents as eligible voters in Arizona state, local, and federal elections, regardless of not having presented proof of their citizenship.
Significantly, this landmark decision by the state’s highest court has been hailed as a major win for the Democratic Secretary of State of Arizona, Adrian Fontes, and the cadre of liberal-leaning groups in the state.
In a statement celebrating the victory, Fontes said, “Today marks a significant victory for those whose fundamental right to vote was under scrutiny.” He continued by expressing his gratitude to the Supreme Court for their timely and just resolution of the situation, highlighting the court’s choice to uphold Arizonan voter’s rights.
The Choice Between Federal and Full Ballots
In the heart of the ruling was the court’s decision on whether the residents in question would receive a “federal-only” ballot, or the full ballot that includes state and local races. Arizona traditionally uses separate ballots as the state generally requires prospective voters to provide proof of citizenship before voting in state and local elections—a requirement that doesn’t apply to ballots for federal office.
However, in this ruling, the Chief Justice of the court, Ann A. Scott Timmer stated, “Doing so (disenfranchising voters from state contests) is not authorized by state law and would violate principles of due process.”
Response to the Ruling
Though his office initially argued in the lawsuit that the residents could only vote in federal elections due to the discovered error, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer welcomed the court’s decision. He thanked the Arizona Supreme Court on a social media platform stating, “Thank you Arizona Supreme Court for your extremely quick and professional review of this matter.”
This decision by the Arizona Supreme Court reinforces the democratic principle allowing every eligible voter’s voice to be heard. It rectifies an oversight that could have restricted nearly 100,000 residents to vote only in the federal elections, and now recognizes their rightful participation in local and state races also. The ruling is perceived as a milestone in preserving and upholding fundamental voting rights, a cornerstone democratic value.