Election law expert Hans von Spakovsky says Arizona can thank a bad 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling for the confusion.
The high court struck down an Arizona law that required voters to show proof of citizenship in national elections. In the majority opinion (7-2), the late Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the state law conflicted with the 1993 National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which mandates states “accept and use” the standardized federal voter registration form for national elections. The NVRA form, developed by the federal Election Assistance Commission, does not require proof of citizenship. It only asks an applicant “aver, under penalty of perjury, that he is a citizen.”
Election law expert Hans von Spakovsky says Arizona can thank a bad 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling for the confusion.
The high court struck down an Arizona law that required voters to show proof of citizenship in national elections. In the majority opinion (7-2), the late Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the state law conflicted with the 1993 National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which mandates states “accept and use” the standardized federal voter registration form for national elections. The NVRA form, developed by the federal Election Assistance Commission, does not require proof of citizenship. It only asks an applicant “aver, under penalty of perjury, that he is a citizen.”
In other words, the honor system.