Tucson Standard

A national voting rights group sued Arizona in response to House Bill 2492 (HB 2492), a law that requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.

The organization, Mi Familia Vota, also asserts that HB 2492 will lead to prosecutions as a result of mandating that the attorney general "investigate and potentially prosecute voters who registered without providing proof of citizenship," according to the Tucson Sentinel.

"HB 2492 is merely the latest in a string of baseless allegations of fraud that have led to a host of pernicious efforts in Arizona to target early voting by mail," Mi Familia Vota said in its complaint, as reported by Courthouse News. 

Gov. Doug Ducey (R-Ariz.) disagreed with these criticisms. 

"Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections," Ducey said, as reported by Courthouse News. "Arizona law prohibits noncitizens from voting for all state and local offices and requires proof of citizenship. HB 2492 provides clarity to Arizona law on how officials process federal form voter registration applications that lack evidence of citizenship."

The lawsuit conversely asserts that the law is not clear.

"The state has once again added another wrinkle to what was already a confusing, bifurcated voter registration system that frustrates Arizonans' right to vote," the plaintiff's complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief said. "This system has already resulted in allegations of disenfranchisement resulting in an ongoing consent decree, whose requirements seem potentially in conflict with the proof of citizenship restriction."