Another bit of good news coming out of the Court came on Monday, June 17, when by 7-2 the Justices ruled that states cannot demand proof of citizenship from people registering to vote in federal elections unless they get federal or court approval to do so.The issue is that of the voter-registration form produced under the federal "motor voter" registration law. In striking down an Arizona law, Justice Antonin Scalia, who wrote the majority opinion - good lord, what is the world coming to - said federal law "precludes Arizona from requiring a federal form applicant to submit information beyond that required by the form itself."
To do that, they would need permission from the federal Election Assistance Commission or a federal court ruling overturning an adverse decision by the commission.
The decision was a clear slap in the face to the Arizona reactionaries who, despite their orchestrated whines about "voter fraud," seem much more frightened by brown skin than by busted ballots.
However, the state can still demand the extra information from anyone who registers via state offices rather than via the federal motor-voter form. And state officials say they will ask the Election Assistance Commission to approve the citizenship proof for the federal form and will fight any denial in court.
That's the process laid out in the Supreme Court's ruling, which Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne called "a clear path to victory for the people of Arizona."
I think a victory is what the people of Arizona just won.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/17/supreme-court-arizona-voter-registration_n_3453965.html
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