Supreme Court to Decide if Arizona Can Require Docs for Voter Registration

The Supreme Court has agreed to consider Republican National Committee v. Mi Familia Vota, a dispute over Arizona's ability to ask voter-registration applicants to provide citizenship documents on the state form. Federal law already bars non-citizens from voting, but the case focuses on whether an attestation under penalty of perjury is sufficient. A 2013 decision limited Arizona from adding requirements to the federal registration form but did not forbid state-specific paperwork.

Critics say the documentary requirement could suppress turnout among naturalized citizens, military families and college students lacking immediate proof, while supporters compare it to standard identity checks in finance. The court will hear briefs through mid-October, with oral arguments later this term and a ruling by the end of the next term. The outcome will clarify the balance between federal election rules and state authority over voter qualifications.