State can block voters if they don’t use a federal registration form according to new law that will ‘cause confusion’
The US supreme court ruled Thursday that Arizona can partially enforce a new law that requires people to prove their citizenship in order to vote, but said the state cannot block them from voting for president or by mail as long as they used the federal voter registration form.
The case involved a dispute over a 2022 law that blocked Arizonans who did not show proof of citizenship from voting by mail or for president, regardless of whether they used the state’s own voter registration form or a federal form.
Thanks for linking to the forms themselves!
A quick look shows that both forms ask the voter to attest they are US citizens and warns them of penalties for filling out the form fraudulently, but using the State form requires the voter to show proof, while using the Federal form does not require the voter to show that proof. They can simply show some ID and proof of residence, which doesn’t necessarily prove citizenship.
So if voting a fundamental enough right that you hold it inherently? If you move to a different district only to find that your dog ate your long form birth certificate, should you be disenfranchised until you get a new copy?
Or like me and the government suddenly states that your original birth certificate from the 1980s is no longer valid and that you must purchase a new one to the tune of $80. Fuck them and this bullshit.
“Your birth certificate has just been revoked.” -1990’s action movie hero before executing a henchmen
Passports prove citizenship as well.
That assumes you ever felt the need to leave the country. Only 48% of Americans have one.
I am actually surprised the number is that high. I’ve always had a passport. My parents felt it was something we should have even though it wasn’t needed.
Here is a link that puts the total a bit lower (43%) but has some interesting demographics
https://today.yougov.com/travel/articles/46028-adults-under-30-more-likely-have-us-passport
Pre-911 I bet the number was even lower. We didn’t need one to go to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.
The original birth certificate is stored at the county office where you were born. You only ever have copies