By Mary Jo Pitzl and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez | The Republic | azcentral.com
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Arizona and Kansas may require residents to prove they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote.
If the ruling by U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren stands, the requirement would affect new Arizona voters. The ruling, which applies to the federal voter registration form, imposes the same requirements as Arizona’s state registration form.
Last year, Arizona and Kansas sued the Federal Election Assistance Commission, which had refused to help officials in both states change federal election registration forms to include proof of citizenship.
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, the state’s top elections officer, applauded the decision, which he learned about during a phone call with his Kansas counterpart, Kris Kobach.
