cthulu
26th October 2010, 03:47 PM
Arizona's requirement that people show proof of citizenship to register to vote was struck down by a federal appeals court, which said it conflicts with the National Voter Registration Act.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco today invalidated parts of Arizonas Proposition 200, a 2004 voter- approved initiative on registration for state and federal elections. The court didnt disturb a requirement that voters show identification at the polls.
A three-judge panel of the court said the proof-of- citizenship requirement conflicted with the intent of the federal law aiming to increase voter registration by streamlining the process with a single form and removing state- imposed obstacles to registration.
The federal law requires applicants to attest to their citizenship under penalty of perjury without requiring documentary proof, the panel said.
Proposition 200 creates an additional state hurdle to registration, the judges said.
The law was challenged by voting rights and Hispanic advocacy groups.
The decision is a warning to anyone who seeks to deter or prevent voter participation that the Constitution will protect our democratic process, Thomas A. Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a San Antonio-based group that argued the case, said in a statement.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/10/26/20101026arizona-voiting-citizenship-law-ruling.html#ixzz13VBfDK9k
The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco today invalidated parts of Arizonas Proposition 200, a 2004 voter- approved initiative on registration for state and federal elections. The court didnt disturb a requirement that voters show identification at the polls.
A three-judge panel of the court said the proof-of- citizenship requirement conflicted with the intent of the federal law aiming to increase voter registration by streamlining the process with a single form and removing state- imposed obstacles to registration.
The federal law requires applicants to attest to their citizenship under penalty of perjury without requiring documentary proof, the panel said.
Proposition 200 creates an additional state hurdle to registration, the judges said.
The law was challenged by voting rights and Hispanic advocacy groups.
The decision is a warning to anyone who seeks to deter or prevent voter participation that the Constitution will protect our democratic process, Thomas A. Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a San Antonio-based group that argued the case, said in a statement.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/10/26/20101026arizona-voiting-citizenship-law-ruling.html#ixzz13VBfDK9k