Many Arizona voters and voting rights advocates are outraged at the passage of a bill this week requiring proof of citizenship and residency in order to vote in federal elections.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed the legislation Wednesday. Advocates say the move is unconstitutional and will affect some 200,000 Arizonans.
The bill also requires anyone newly registering to vote to provide proof of their physical address.
The Legislature’s own lawyers say much of the measure is unconstitutional and directly contradicts a recent Supreme Court decision. They believe it is likely to be thrown out in court.
Voting advocates say the parameters are vague and could go much farther, affecting hundreds of thousands of people who haven’t recently updated their voter registration or driver’s license.
Arizona is the only state that requires voters to prove their citizenship when they register, a provision adopted in a 2004 ballot measure known as Proposition 200.
According to Cronkite News Digest, at least five groups have filed suits in U.S. District Court, charging the law imposes "arbitrary and discriminatory burdens on eligible Arizona voters."