Overview
- The Supreme Court granted review on Monday of a Republican-led appeal that challenges Arizona’s 2022 law requiring documentary proof of citizenship for people who use the state voter registration form and a program to purge registrants whose citizenship cannot be confirmed.
- Lower federal courts, including a district court and a Ninth Circuit panel, blocked key parts of the law after finding they conflict with the National Voter Registration Act and a 2018 consent decree that limits Arizona’s ability to reject state registration forms without proof of citizenship.
- Court records show roughly 19,000 to 20,000 Arizonans were registered to vote for federal elections only because they had not provided state-required proof of citizenship, a population that opponents say could be disenfranchised if proof rules are enforced.
- President Trump’s Justice Department backed the Republican appeal, arguing states may require documents and may run data-matching purge programs; voting rights groups say the rules risk wrongly removing Latino, Native American and student voters and create hurdles for eligible voters.
- Oral argument is expected in the October 2026 term with a decision likely the following summer, and some 2024 emergency orders that allowed limited enforcement of Arizona provisions remain in effect while the litigation continues.