Key Takeaways:
– The Arizona Supreme Court rules to allow nearly 98,000 unconfirmed citizens to vote in state and local elections.
– This decision follows a database error that wrongly designated these voters as having full-access voting rights.
– Most of the affected voters are long-term Arizona residents, primarily from Maricopa County.
– The state of Arizona requires voters to prove their citizenship to participate in local and state races.
On Friday, the Arizona Supreme Court took a landmark decision that may significantly impact upcoming state and local elections. The court ruled that nearly 98,000 Arizonans, whose citizenship status remained unconfirmed due to a system error, could legally participate in the electoral process.
System Database Error
This decision comes after a two-decade-long system error righted. The error caused the system to wrongfully designate almost 98,000 voters as having full access to the ballot, despite their citizenship documents being unconfirmed.
Both federal and state races are now open for this group of voters, following this ruling. They can cast their votes for presidential and congress candidates regardless of the final decision from the high court.
A Disagreement Among officials
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, and Stephen Richer, the Republican Maricopa County recorder, initially disagreed on what status these voters should hold. Richer requested the Supreme Court’s intervention, asserting that Fontes bypassed state law advice for county officials to allow the said group of voters to cast full ballots.
Fontes opposed this, stating that denying these voters the right to vote would raise issues concerning equal protection and due process.
Final Verdict from the Supreme Court
The high court sided with Fontes, ruling that county officials lack the authority to change the voters’ statuses. The court emphasized that these voters had registered long ago and had attested, under penalty of law, that they are citizens.
In the court’s statement, Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer emphasized, “We are unwilling on these facts to disenfranchise voters en masse from participating in state contests.” She also highlighted that the database error was not the fault of the voters.
Who are the affected voters?
The group of almost 98,000 affected comprises mainly long-term Arizona residents aged 45 to 60. Most reside in Maricopa County, Phoenix’s home. Approximately 37% are registered Republicans, 27% are registered Democrats, and the remaining are independents or registered members of minor parties.
Impact on Upcoming Elections
The voting rights extended to these unconfirmed citizens may tip the scale in tightly contested races in the state legislature, where the Republican majority is slender. They might also influence ballot measures, including those tied to abortion rights and penalizing noncitizens for illegal entry.
Officials’ Reactions to the Ruling
Despite their initial disagreement, both Richer and Fontes celebrated the court’s victory. Richer expressed his relief on a social media platform, stating that maintaining the current voter status would be administratively easier.
“Thank God,” he said. Fontes called the ruling a “significant victory for those whose fundamental right to vote was under scrutiny” in a recent press release.
After Election Plans
Voters affected by the registration glitch were generally pleased with the ruling. Election officials will be contacting voters who need to update their citizenship proof after the general election.
Arizona remains unique in its requirement for voters to demonstrate citizenship to participate in local and state polls. Citizenship can be confirmed either through a driver’s license or a tribal ID number, or by attaching a copy of a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization documents.
This news story is based on a report from the Los Angeles Times.