Supreme Court Restores Part of Arizona Voter Citizenship Law

The U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated a part of Arizona's voter law that mandates documented proof of citizenship for registration. This ruling follows a federal judge's block and comes before the critical November election. The decision has intensified the ongoing debate over voting rights and election security.

The U.S. Supreme Court has revived a segment of an Arizona voter law requiring documented proof of U.S. citizenship to register, acceding to a request by the Republican National Committee and Arizona Republicans. Thursday's 5-4 decision reinstated a provision previously blocked by a federal judge amid legal challenges by President Joe Biden's administration and advocacy groups.

This ruling arrives ahead of the Nov. 5 election, which sees Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris pitted against Republican ex-President Donald Trump. Arizona Republicans had imposed stricter voter registration laws in 2022, demanding citizenship proof to vote in presidential and federal elections by mail.

While state-form applicants without citizenship proof face tighter restrictions, federal-form users were partially exempt until this Supreme Court intervention. Chief Justice John Roberts joined conservative justices to partially reinstate the state-form restriction, intensifying debates over voter access and election integrity.

(With inputs from agencies.)