(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Arizona officials recently revealed that nearly 100,000 registered voters may be unable to vote in state and local elections this November because they have yet to provide proof of U.S. citizenship as the state law requires.
In his Sept. 17, 2024, Twitter post, Maricopa County recorder Stephen Richer wrote that the voter registration process’s “flaw” was discovered last week, even though it’s been there for decades.
Later today, my office (@RecordersOffice) is suing the Secretary's office (@AZSecretary) regarding how to handle certain voters who need to provide documented proof of citizenship.
Since 2004, Arizona has been the only state in the country to require that a voter provide…
— Stephen Richer—MaricopaCountyRecorder (prsnl acct) (@stephen_richer) September 17, 2024
Richer explained in his post that Arizona has a special system that allows potential voters in federal elections to register using a federal form that prevents a person from providing proof of citizenship. However, people who want to vote in state and local elections need to provide proof of citizenship.
Richer added that since 1996, people who want to obtain a standard Arizona driver’s license need to show proof of U.S. citizenship. People with Green cards are given an alternate license.
That means everyone registered to vote in Arizona using a state driver’s license since 1996 has been presumed to be an American citizen and, therefore, eligible to vote in all federal, state and local elections.
However, in 2004, the Motor Vehicle Division changed rules so those applying for a renewal or replacement license had an updated issue date stamped.
According to Richer, this system allowed one group of registered voters, 97,000 people, to ” slip through the cracks” regarding this issue.
“All of these people have attested under penalty of law that they are U.S. citizens. And, in all likelihood, they almost all [are] U.S. Citizens. But they have NOT provided documented proof of citizenship,” he wrote.
Arizona’s Family reported that Richer, a Republican, filed a “friendly” lawsuit against Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, hoping the state supreme court will clarify the issue as soon as possible, since the 2024 election will be very soon.
“Coincidentally,” according to Blaze Media, Fontes said that affected voters lean Republican.
“It is my position that these registrants have not satisfied Arizona’s documented proof of citizenship law, and therefore can only vote a ‘FED ONLY’ ballot [in 2024],” Richer said.
