An Arizona judge has ruled in favor of a conservative group, America First Legal, ordering state election officials to provide a list of tens of thousands of voters affected by a glitch in the proof of citizenship requirement. This glitch has raised doubts about whether these voters fulfilled Arizona's citizenship documentation rules.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding their citizenship documents, the affected voters have been permitted to cast a full ballot in the upcoming election. America First Legal, led by former Trump administration members, argued that these voters should undergo additional vetting to remain on the voter rolls.
On the other hand, voter advocates in Arizona have expressed concerns that the release of this list could lead to intimidation tactics.
The lawsuit was filed by the Arizona nonprofit EZAZ.org after state officials revealed a technical error in the databases, preventing the confirmation of citizenship documentation for approximately 218,000 registered voters, up from an initial 98,000.
According to Supreme Court precedent and Arizona laws, voters without verified citizenship documents can participate in federal elections but are ineligible to vote in state and local races. However, the Arizona Supreme Court recently ruled that those impacted by the glitch can vote in all races, despite the lack of certainty regarding their citizenship proof.
