Politics

Supreme Court Throws Out Arizona, Kansas Voter ID Appeal

Christian Datoc Senior White House Correspondent
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The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a joint-appeal from Arizona and Kansas on Monday that would have allowed the states to require applicants to show proof of citizenship while registering to vote.

In throwing out the case, SCOTUS uphold a Nov. 2014 ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, stating that the Election Assistance Commission — the federal agency overseeing changes to states’ voter registration processes — was, “not required to grant the states’ request that proof of citizenship be added to registration requirements,” reports Reuters. The court believed that the federal registration form — requiring applicants to swear they are citizens under the threat of perjury — was a sufficient safe-guard against voter fraud.

Both the Obama administration and various voter-rights groups — including the League of Women Voters and the League of United Latin-American Citizens — urged the Supreme Court not the hear the case, and SCOTUS’ rejection marks what Bloomberg called a landmark victory for the, “groups that battled the two states in court.”

The Court’s decision comes only days after last week’s historic rulings on both the Affordable Care Act and same-sex marriage. (RELATED: Graham On Gay Marriage, We Still Need To Fight For Religious Rights)

[h/t: Reuters, Bloomberg]

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