Attorney General Labrador Joins Brief Asking SCOTUS to Allow Arizona to Enforce Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration

[BOISE] - Attorney General Raúl Labrador has joined a coalition of 24 states in asking the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to stay a decision enjoining enforcement of Arizona's law, forcing Arizona to allow persons to register to vote in federal races without having to prove U.S. citizenship.

The amicus brief filed late Thursday in support of the Republican National Committee and others, argues "To enforce that requirement, Arizona does the logical thing: require that a person registering to vote provide documentary proof of citizenship. This requirement, or something similar, has been around in some form or fashion for at least 20 years."

"Voting is a fundamental right in our Republic," said Attorney General Labrador. "The integrity of that process demands security and scrutiny so we can all have confidence in the outcomes. Proving citizenship for voting in federal elections is not a burden when it comes to preserving that integrity."

In July, a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals initially stayed part of the district court's injunction. But on Aug. 1, a different panel reversed the earlier ruling and now is allowing Arizonans again to register to vote in federal races without having to prove citizenship. The registration deadline there for the presidential election is Oct. 7.

Before the court's reversal, registrants were required to show documentary proof of citizenship.

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Virginia joined the West Virginia- and Kansas-led brief.

Read a copy of the amicus brief here.