In Arizona, nearly 100,000 “voters” could lose their ability to participate in state and local elections due to missing proof of citizenship, a requirement under Arizona law. The discrepancy was discovered after an administrative error allowed these voters to cast full ballots for years without the necessary documentation.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer explained that the issue arose when voters with driver’s licenses issued before October 1996 were reissued duplicates. These duplicates caused the statewide voter registration system to incorrectly flag them as having proof of citizenship on file, when in fact, they did not.
Arizona law, which has been in place since 2004, requires that voters provide documented proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections. Without this proof, voters are limited to federal-only ballots, which allow voting for president and Congress but not for state or local offices.
The Arizona Secretary of State has raised concerns about implementing changes too close to the election, arguing that it could be unfair to voters who were unaware of the issue. The dispute has led to legal action, with both sides seeking a court ruling on how to handle the affected voters.
Arizona Clean Elections has clarified the distinction between federal-only and full ballot voters. Only those who provide valid proof of citizenship can vote in all elections, while those without such documentation are restricted to federal races.
