The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that nearly 100,000 voters caught in a citizenship tracking error will be allowed to vote a full ballot in November. The error was caused by a coding glitch in the state’s motor vehicle database, resulting in some registered voters being miscategorized on the rolls due to missing citizenship documents. Despite Arizona’s unique requirement for voters to submit proof of citizenship, the court deemed it unfair to disenfranchise voters so close to the election.
The affected voters, who were previously registered to vote a full ballot, will need to prove their citizenship for future elections. Arizona officials are working on solutions, including using federal tools to verify citizenship status. Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton has asked for assistance from federal agencies to confirm voters’ citizenship status, including using passport information.
Both parties involved in the lawsuit, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer and Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, expressed relief at the court’s decision. They thanked the court for their quick and professional review of the matter, ensuring that the impacted voters will be able to vote in the upcoming election. The error was identified when a voter tried to update their registration, revealing the outdated coding in the Motor Vehicle Division’s database that led to the mistake.
Most of the impacted voters are older, having received driver’s licenses before 1996. The group consists of Republicans, Democrats, and independents, with individuals spread across Arizona. While affected voters will be contacted with next steps, there is currently no way for individuals to determine if they are part of the group caught in the error.
Photo credit
www.usatoday.com