AG opinion: Those who register to vote with federal form can’t vote in state, local elections
By Mary Jo Pitzl | Arizona The Republic
Arizona will have a two-track voting system for the 2014 election, under a new state policy underpinned by an opinion from the state attorney general.
Arizonans who registered to vote using a federal form will only be allowed to vote in federal races next year. People who registered to vote using Arizona’s state form — which requires proof of citizenship — will be able to vote as usual, casting ballots in everything from local races to state contests to congressional races.
Attorney General Tom Horne’s opinion comes in the wake of a June U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down part of state voter-approved law that required proof of U.S. citizenship as a pre-condition to voting.
In its 7-2 ruling, the high court said Arizona could not require would-be voters to show evidence of citizenship when they registuring using a form issued by the federal government. That form does not require citizenship proof.
The state can, however, ask people using a state-issued registration form to prove their citizenship with documents such as a driver’s license or passport.
