Error in Voter Registration
Arizona officials have admitted that nearly 100,000 individuals on voter rolls have not provided proof of U.S. citizenship but still have full voting privileges. This discovery comes as the state faces a lawsuit for not removing non-citizens from its voter rolls.
Registration Mistake Uncovered
A Maricopa County worker discovered the error. The worker found a registered voter with a green card who had no voting history but was incorrectly listed as eligible to vote in both federal and state elections. This mistake, affecting roughly 97,000 voters, dates back 20 years. The state’s voter registration system, linked to the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), misclassified these individuals.
State and County Response
The error has persisted through four administrations. Counties are set to send out military and overseas voter ballots soon. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’ office clarified that the state’s Access Voter Information Database (AVID) failed to flag driver’s licenses issued before October 1996, which are not valid as proof of citizenship.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer announced that his office discovered the issue and is working with state officials to resolve it. Richer’s office plans to sue the Secretary of State’s office to clarify the requirement for documented proof of citizenship for the upcoming General Election.
Proof of Citizenship Requirements
Richer stated that moving forward, proof of citizenship will be mandatory for voters to cast a full ballot. However, there is disagreement on the implementation for the November 5, 2024, General Election. Richer believes these voters should only be allowed to vote in federal elections unless they provide proof of citizenship. The Secretary argues that changes so close to the election would burden voters and could deprive them of their rights.
Legal and Political Reactions
Rep. Eli Crane commented on the issue during a podcast, highlighting the long-standing nature of these problems and their potential impact on elections. America First Legal (AFL) recently filed a lawsuit against all 15 Arizona counties. The lawsuit emphasizes the importance of maintaining accurate voter rolls and requiring proof of citizenship.
AFL’s Senior Counsel James Rogers stated that the recent revelation underscores the necessity of their lawsuit. He called for stronger efforts to verify the citizenship status of registered voters. Rogers criticized the failure of election officials to maintain accurate voter lists.
The AFL lawsuit, representing the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona and a naturalized citizen, follows a prior complaint against Maricopa County. The case highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring the integrity of voter registration and the need for thorough verification processes.
As of July 1, over 42,000 voters without proof of citizenship remain on Arizona’s voter rolls, an increase from earlier this year. AFL urges Arizona’s county recorders to use available federal laws to obtain information on the citizenship status of voters. This would prevent non-citizens from participating in state and local elections.
