Supreme Court Gives GOP Partial Victory on Arizona Elections

The Supreme Court on Thursday effectively came down on both sides of an Arizona law that requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, in a partial victory for Republicans who had filed an emergency appeal in the case. The 5-4 ruling lets Arizona enforce measures passed in 2022 requiring prospective voters to produce proof of US citizenship when they attempt to register, the Washington Post reports. More than 40,000 people are registered to vote in federal elections in Arizona without providing such proof, per NBC News, though officials say most of those voters are inactive. In the 2020 election, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the state by just over 10,000 votes.

But for now, at least, the court's mixed decision means newly registered Arizonans will have to bring copies of one of several documents with them in November, including a birth certificate or a passport, per the New York Times. At the same time, the justices kept other parts of the Arizona law on hold. Those provisions could have disqualified voters who register with separate federal forms from casting presidential election ballots in person or by mail. "My concern is that changes to the process should not occur this close to an election," said Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in a statement. "It creates confusion for voters."

Research shows noncitizen voting to be rare to nonexistent. Still, the Republican National Committee praised the Supreme Court's decision, which it did not explain, as a victory for election integrity. An expert on election law said it will make voting "moderately more difficult" for some voters. And it's "for no good reason, because noncitizens are not voting in large numbers," said Richard Hasen, a UCLA law professor. (More US Supreme Court stories.)