Voter Proof-of-Citizenship Law Gets Supreme Court Review
By Greg Stohr - Oct 15, 2012 11:04 AM ET
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether states can demand proof of citizenship from people registering to vote, taking up an Arizona case with racial overtones and nationwide implications.
The case, which the court won’t consider until after the Nov. 6 election, tests states’ power to impose requirements that go beyond the registration procedures set out by federal law. A U.S. appeals court invalidated Arizona’s proof-of-citizenship law.
That ruling would “interfere with the states’ ability to protect the integrity of their elections,” Arizona argued in court papers. It is one of at least four states -- along with Alabama, Kansas and Georgia -- that require would-be voters to show evidence of citizenship.
The case presents legal issues different from those in the voter-identification battles that have garnered headlines leading up to the November election. The new high court case doesn’t directly involve allegations of racial discrimination. Instead, it centers on the constitutional roles of the state and national governments in overseeing elections and on a 1993 federal law designed to increase voter registration.
The court will hear arguments early next year and rule by June.
more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-15/voter-proof-of-citizenship-law-gets-supreme-court-review.html
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