Sunday, June 07, 2015

Arizona took a different tilt on the Supreme Court Shelby ruling.

Evidently, there are different voter registration forms used in Arizona. There is a federal form and a state form. So, the Arizona law states in order to vote in state and local elections voters would need a state issued form and provide a driver’s license number, a photocopy of a birth certificate or a passport. 

Odd, isn't it? This is a voter law that doesn't really require an ID so much as a driver's license number. It doesn't stipulate at all a state ID either.

There is an important point to be made. Before the extremist right wing states started this entire Voter ID mess, there was a method by which those registering to vote would be asked to take an oath in penalty of perjury.

The lawsuit was filed by a Native American Indian Tribe.

JUSTICE SCALIA (click here) delivered the opinion of the Court.The National Voter Registration Act requires States to “accept and use” a uniform federal form to register voters for federal elections. The contents of that form (colloquially known as the Federal Form) are prescribed by a federal agency, the Election Assistance Commission. The Federal Form developed by the EAC does not require documentary evidence of citizenship; rather, it requires only that an applicant aver, under penalty of perjury, that he is a citizen. Arizona law requires voter-registration officials to“reject” any application for registration, including a Federal Form, that is not accompanied by concrete evidence of citizenship. The question is whether Arizona’s evidence-of-citizenship requirement, as applied to Federal Form applicants, is pre-empted by the Act’s mandate that States“accept and use” the Federal Form....

The Tribe wanted Arizona to use the federal form for all elections, including state and local elections. The court stated all federal elections had to accept the federal form which requires an oath and not documented proof. 

Interesting, but, it divided the elections into two paths. The problem with having divided elections with the state and local elections on a separate ballot and perhaps a separate voting day, was the cost. The cost would be exceptional and the organization would be tedious. 

Maricopa County stated out of it's 1,915,531 voters there would be 900 that would fall into the category of only voting in federal elections. The cost would not justify the separation of elections, yet, there was a state statute to obey.

October 7, 2013
By Editorial board

"Nice Voting Trick Boys, but, It Won't Work" (click here)

Here’s an old trick: Create a phony problem and take credit for attacking it vigorously.

After years of hunting for voter fraud in Arizona, there is scant evidence of non-citizens voting. The real problem is lack of voter participation.

Nevertheless, two of Arizona’s top elected officials are ready with a separate but unequal voter registration scheme that attacks the non-existent problem and undermines efforts to increase voter registration. (And they say Congress is dysfunctional.)

Yet there’s plenty of calculation behind this apparent madness.

Take a look at the players. Attorney General Tom Horne, who wants to be re-elected, and Secretary of State Ken Bennett, who wants to be governor, will face Republican primary contests next year....