By Caitlin Sievers | AZ Mirror
The United States Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that Arizona can enforce part of a voter registration law that is being challenged in federal court, effectively allowing the state to bar legal voters from registering just about 10 weeks before the election.
In a split decision, the high court handed a win to the Republican National Committee and Arizona legislative leaders Ben Toma, the speaker of the state House of Representatives, and Warren Petersen, the state Senate president. In a 5-4 decision via an unsigned order. The court reinstated a portion of the law that allows the state to stop accepting state-created voter registration forms from Arizona residents unless they provide proof of citizenship.
The brief order did not explain the reasons for the court’s decision, which is common for emergency rulings. Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett sided with the court’s three liberal justices.
“This is a major victory for election integrity that upholds a simple principle: American elections must be decided by American citizens,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a written statement. “While Democrats have worked to undermine basic election safeguards and make it easier for non-citizens to vote, we have fought tooth and nail to preserve citizenship requirements, see the law enforced, and secure our elections.”
