Arizona’s governor on Thursday signed into law a bill that aims to strengthen election integrity with new requirements to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in elections held in Arizona.
The measure, House Bill 2492, requires voters in Arizona to provide proof of citizenship and residency to be eligible to vote.
Under the new law, if county recorders are found to have knowingly accepted a voter registration application that doesn’t have enough proof of citizenship, they face a class 6 felony.
“Election integrity means counting every lawful vote and prohibiting any attempt to illegally cast a vote,” Gov. Doug Ducey said in a letter (pdf) to Secretary of State Katie Hobbs explaining his support for the legislation. He said the bill “is a balanced approach that honors Arizona’s history of making voting accessible without sacrificing security in our elections.
In Arizona, the Republican Party controls the governorship and both chambers of the state’s legislature. The bill passed the legislature on March 23.
Hobbs, a Democrat who is running for governor of Arizona, told Ducey to veto the bill after lawmakers passed the measure. She said on Twitter on March 23 that the GOP-backed bill “creates new, unnecessary barriers for people registering to vote.”
Other state Democrats say the measure is part of an effort to suppress voting in the battleground state.
State Rep. Jake Hoffman, the bill’s sponsor, said the signing into law of HB 2492 is “a giant step toward ensuring elections are easy, convenient, and secure in our state.”
“HB 2492 is an incredibly well-crafted piece of legislation that is on sound legal footing and broadly supported by voters of all political parties. I am confident that should Democrats challenge HB 2492 in court it will only serve to further reinforce its clear constitutionality,” he said in a statement (pdf) Thursday.
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Historic Day: Arizona Enacts Law Requiring Citizenship to Vote PDF
NEWS RELEASE
Arizona House of Representatives
Representative Jake Hoffman (R-12)
1700 West Washington • Phoenix, Arizona • 85007
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Historic Day: Arizona Enacts Law Requiring Citizenship to Vote
STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – State Representative Jake Hoffman today celebrated the enactment of HB 2492, legislation he sponsored that requires proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in Arizona elections.
Today is a historic day for Arizona and a great victory for Arizonans and all Americans alike. The signing into law of Arizona House Bill 2492, which requires verification of U.S. citizenship to be eligible to vote in Arizona elections, is a giant step toward ensuring elections are easy, convenient, and secure in our state.
“HB 2492 is an incredibly well-crafted piece of legislation that is on sound legal footing and broadly supported by voters of all political parties. I am confident that should Democrats challenge HB 2492 in court it will only serve to further reinforce its clear constitutionality.”
Jake Hoffman is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 12, encompassing Gilbert & Queen Creek, and parts of Pinal County.
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