Arizona Initiates Removal of Noncitizens from Voter Rolls Following Legal Settlement
State's 15 counties commence verification of nearly 50,000 registrants lacking proof of U.S. citizenship
All 15 counties in Arizona have begun verifying and removing noncitizens from their voter rolls, focusing on approximately 50,000 registrants who did not provide documented proof of U.S. citizenship.
This action follows a legal settlement resulting from a lawsuit filed by America First Legal on behalf of EZAZ.org and a naturalized citizen, alleging noncompliance with state laws requiring proof of citizenship for participation in state and local elections.
Arizona law mandates that voters provide proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections.
Those who fail to do so are registered as 'federal-only' voters, eligible to vote solely in federal elections.
The lawsuit contended that county recorders were not conducting the required monthly checks to verify the citizenship status of these voters.
In response, all counties have initiated collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security to verify the citizenship status of registrants lacking documented proof.
Individuals confirmed as U.S. citizens will be moved to the regular voter list, while those identified as noncitizens will have their registrations canceled.
This development occurs amid broader national discussions on voter registration and election integrity.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), which would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections.
The bill now advances to the Senate for consideration.