CHARLESTON, WV (WVDN) — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is co-leading with Kansas a coalition of 24 states in asking the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to stay a decision enjoining enforcement of Arizona’s law, forcing Arizona to allow persons to register to vote in federal races without having to prove U.S. citizenship.
The amicus brief filed late Thursday in support of the Republican National Committee and others, argues “To enforce that requirement, Arizona does the logical thing: require that a person registering to vote provide documentary proof of citizenship. This requirement, or something similar, has been around in some form or fashion for at least 20 years.”
“It’s about safeguarding the integrity of our elections—the heart of our democratic process,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “It’s really very simple: you should not be allowed to vote if you’re not a United States citizen, and having proof of your citizenship is vital in making sure we conduct free, safe and lawful elections.”
In July, a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals initially stayed part of the district court’s injunction. But on Aug. 1, a different panel reversed the earlier ruling and now is allowing Arizonans again to register to vote in federal races without having to prove citizenship. The registration deadline there for the presidential election is Oct. 7. Before the court’s reversal, registrants were required to show documentary proof of citizenship.
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Virginia joined the West Virginia- and Kansas-led brief.
