US Federal Judge Agrees with the Ariz. Law Requiring Voters to Provide Proof of Citizenship

A sheet of voter stickers on May 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. The governor says that a passage of the suite of measures is crucial to repairing the state budget crisis. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

A federal judge has ruled in favor of a new Arizona state law requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship.

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The ruling was issued on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton. Bolton found such requirements in House Bill 2492, which adapts stricter voting requirements in The Grand Canyon State, are not discriminatory and that the state has a legitimate interest in preventing voter fraud.

“Considering the evidence as a whole, the court concludes that Arizona’s interests in preventing non-citizens from voting and promoting public confidence in Arizona’s elections outweighs the limited burden voters might encounter when required to provide [documentary proof of citizenship],” Bolton wrote.

The Justice Department, the Democratic National Committee and voting rights groups challenged the law. They claimed that it would make voter registration more difficult and that it is racially discriminatory.

However, Bolton concluded that they did not provide any evidence showing that state lawmakers intended to suppress voter registration among minority groups.

“[The laws do not] impose an undue burden on the right to vote or violate the equal protection and due process guarantees of the U.S. constitution,” she concluded.