U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Arizona Election-Security Laws

A U.S. appeals court reinstated Arizona election-security laws aimed at preventing multiple voter registrations. The ruling allows counties to cancel out-of-state voter registrations and criminalizes out-of-state voting. Advocacy groups claimed the laws unfairly targeted voter registration but were dismissed by the court.

A U.S. appeals court has reinstated two Arizona election-security laws designed to prevent individuals from being registered to vote in multiple jurisdictions. This decision paves the way for counties to cancel registrations of voters who have moved out of state and criminalizes voting by out-of-state residents. Arizona is one of several states that could play a pivotal role in the upcoming Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election.

The lawsuit, filed by advocacy groups Voto Latino, Priorities USA, and the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans, alleged that the laws targeted voter-registration efforts unfairly and criminalized common voter behavior. Representatives for these groups did not respond to requests for comment.

In September 2022, a judge had temporarily blocked enforcement of these provisions. However, on Thursday, a divided three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision. The majority opinion stated that the advocacy groups lacked standing to sue and dismissed the claim that one of the provisions was unconstitutional.

This ruling arrives amidst a barrage of litigation over election rules nationwide, with significant decisions pending that could impact key states. Republicans have initiated numerous lawsuits aiming to enforce stringent election security measures, while Democrats have countered with legal challenges to block such measures. Former President Trump, who faces Democrat Kamala Harris in the November election, continues to falsely claim that the 2020 presidential election was marred by widespread fraud.

(With inputs from agencies.)