A federal judge has rejected a request to temporarily prevent Arizona election officials from requiring that federal mail-in voter registration forms be accompanied by additional proof of citizenship.
Lawyers for advocacy groups that made the request said they will consider appealing the June 19 decision and continue to challenge the voting provisions of Proposition 200, a voter-approved law that denied some government benefits to illegal immigrants.
The law also required would-be voters to submit proof of citizenship when registering and proof of identity when casting ballots at polling places.
Tribal, Hispanic and other groups had argued the federal government has mandated use of the mail-in voter registration forms as-is and that requiring additional documentation of citizenship hinders the rights of voters.
Attorneys for the state argued that Arizona is allowed to verify the eligibility of people registering to vote and that the policy debate over Proposition 200 is over.
U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver said the state’s proof of citizenship requirement doesn’t conflict with the federal law that governs the registration forms.
“Determining whether an individual is a United States citizen is of paramount importance when determining his or her eligibility to vote,” the judge wrote.
Daniel Ortega, an attorney for the advocacy groups, said he will meet with his clients to determine whether they will file an appeal.
Andrea Esquer, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, which is defending the law, said state lawyers were pleased with the decision.
While Proposition 200 was approved in 2004, the ID rules were cleared by federal officials in October and were first used in local elections in March.
Supporters said the requirement would safeguard the election system by preventing non-citizens from casting ballots, while opponents say the law will do nothing to stop fraud.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.