In 2018, about 1,700 people in Arizona voted with federal-only ballots. Two years later, that number had increased to 11,600 people.

Voters to cast federal-only ballots in Arizona after state officials signed a consent decree agreeing to let voters who did not provide proof of U.S. citizenship on their state voter applications vote in federal elections anyway has increased “explosively”. The surge in numbers coincides with millions of illegal immigrants flooding into the United States.

Lawsuit, consent decree invalidates Arizona Election Integrity Act

Twenty years ago, Arizona voters approved Proposition 200 (also known as “Proposition 200”). “Arizona Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act.“At the heart of this is an honest approach to elections.” Proof of U.S. citizenship required to vote Photo ID at the polling place. Prop 200 has come under constant attack from leftists fighting against U.S. citizenship, a key voting qualification in Arizona's constitution.

The challenge reached the U.S. Supreme Court, where the justices ruled 7-2 in 2013 that states could not add documentation of citizenship requirements to federal voter registration forms. Each state must “accept and use” a standardized federal voter registration form for national elections under the 1993 law. National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA form was developed by the Federal Election Assistance Commission and No proof of citizenship required. The applicant “He disclosed under penalty of perjury that he was a citizen. ”

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but opinionThe book, written by the late Justice Antonin Scalia, opened the door for states to scrutinize their voters. Scalia wrote that states “remain the flexibility to design and use their own registration forms.”

In response, Arizona accepted federal voter registration applications without citizenship documents but continued to require proof of citizenship on state forms. Federally registered voters are designated as “federal-only voters,” meaning they can vote for presidential and congressional candidates, but not for state or local candidates.

But in 2018, against the will of 56 percent of Arizona voters who supported Proposition 200, the Grand Canyon State not only accepted federal-only applications lacking proof of citizenship, but also required applicants to register federally. forced to give. Those who used state forms but were unable to provide proof of citizenship.Then-Arizona Secretary of State Michelle Regan (R) and Democratic Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes anti-election honest warrior He later became Arizona's Secretary of State. consent decree with The left-wing United League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is facing further legal restrictions.

“This lawsuit was filed in 2017 questioning the ability to verify proof of citizenship despite a bifurcated (voter registration) system,” said Scott Musi, the association's president. said. Arizona Free Enterprise Club, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing a limited government agenda to promote growth in the Grand Canyon State. Moussi and his organization have been at the forefront of several areas. The battle for election integrity.

According to Moussi, the suspension of the provisions regarding proof of citizenship ““There has been an explosion of federal-only voters” — voters who used the federal honors system instead of actually proving their citizenship.

According to the Secretary of State's Office, about 1,700 people in Arizona I voted In the 2018 midterm elections, only federal voting was held. Two years later, in the absence of written protection, that number had increased to 11,600. free news in arizona. President Joe Biden won Arizona by just 10,457 votes (about 0.3%).

Lawmakers' counterattack

In 2022, the Republican-led Congress passed two election integrity bills aimed at ensuring civil rights at the polls.As Arizona Free Enterprise Club In summary, House Bill 2492 County recorders are being asked to reject state voter registration applications that do not include documentation of citizenship. The bill also requires proof of citizenship to vote in presidential elections.

Election officials who receive documents without documentation may be subject to the following charges: Class 5 Felony; The maximum penalty is two and a half years in prison.

Musi's organization said the bill would require election officials to “check numerous databases to determine the citizenship status of applicants who did not include proof of citizenship using federal forms.” It is also mandatory. It doesn't matter if election officials find evidence in the database. If not, election officials would be required to notify the Arizona Attorney General and county prosecutors of the alleged crime. If the applicant is not found in any database, the election office must notify the applicant within 30 days of requesting proof of citizenship.

House Bill 2243 Requires greater control over Arizona's voter rolls and authorizes county recorders to cancel voter registrations if applicants fail to provide sufficient evidence of U.S. citizenship within a specified period of time. There is.

As for me report last week, Fontes and his leftist predecessor, the current governor. Katie Hobbs failed to maintain important voter lists. More than a dozen Arizona counties appear to be violating Section 8 of the NVRA, which requires states to maintain accurate and up-to-date voter rolls for federal elections.

free news in arizona report In two quarterly reports issued to the Legislature last year, the Secretary of State's Office said it received the following information: Over 78,200 potentially invalid voters reported. That number included more than 1,300 people who “admitted on jury questionnaires that they were not citizens.” There are also more than 23,600 people who “admitted on jury questionnaires that they were not residents of the county.”

These bills were signed into law in 2022 by then-Gov. Doug Ducey. Republicans told then-Secretary of State Hobbs, a Democrat who leads the executive branch in the office with a proven partisanship, that the law would “compromise Arizona's security.” “It offers a balanced approach that respects Arizona's history of allowing people to vote without having to vote.” This is our election. ”

“Election integrity means counting every legal vote and prohibiting any attempt to vote illegally,” Ducey wrote. letter To Mr. Hobbes.

The left wing attacked almost immediately.

The law is in “limbo”

Some of the challenges, making the usual hysterical claims of “voter suppression,” include the Arizona Student Association, Mi Familia Vota, Living United for Arizona Change (LUCHA), and the Arizona Asian American Indian Organization. The lawsuit was filed by about 20 far-left plaintiffs, including Pacific Islanders for Equity Coalition. The Democratic National Committee has also joined the fray.

During September, Arizona District Judge Susan Bolton, Clinton's candidate, struck down A key part of the law that Musi described as a “bizarre judicial process.””

“Right now they're at a loss,” said Arizona Free Enterprise Club President. “Judge Bolton, who is overseeing this case, gave a partial judgment that deemed elements of the law unlawful, but it was a very poor judgment.”

Part of the judge's ruling argues that lawmakers can't rescind consent decrees from years ago. Only the judge who presided over the contract can change its terms.

“Judge Bolton says this judgment will remain in place forever until the judge dies or vacates it,” Musi said.

The case is already before the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court, court officials said. Additional mattersis scheduled to be appealed.

Further court hearings for Mr Bolton are scheduled for later this month.

Musi seems confident that the consolidated case will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court and that the Election Integrity Act remains valid.

“We believe that the law is not only legal and compliant with the National Voter Registration Act, but that states have clear authority to enforce laws that ensure that noncitizens do not vote in elections.” he said.

Meanwhile, Arizona Secretary of State Fontes released an updated election manual in late December.of manualThe law, created by Democrats for Democrats, attacks, among other things, the Election Integrity Act, which allows voter registration applicants to vote in federal elections if they do not provide proof of U.S. citizenship.

of That's what the Arizona Republican Party called it. It's a “power grab” and “an attempt to take powers away from the state legislature that it shouldn't belong to” and “breathtaking overreach.” Lawsuits are expected.

“We warned SOS early on that we would sue if the Election Procedures Manual was not amended to reflect the law passed by Congress. Unfortunately that did not happen. Protect our elections “I imagine there will be many plaintiffs in the Senate for this,” Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said. I have written on his X account on New Year's Eve.

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This article Published by federalist Reprinted with permission.