Nearly 5 years to the day after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling set up a dual-track system of elections in Arizona, the state has settled a related lawsuit and has ensured each applicant’s eligibility to participate in state or federal elections will be verified before the individual’s registration becomes active. The bifurcated voting system arose out of a conflict between a 2004 voter approved ballot initiative requiring proof of citizenship when registering and the Supreme Court order to allow people who have not provided such proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. The lawsuit filed by the League of United Latin American Citizens and Arizona Students’ Association, claimed the state’s voter registration process was unduly burdensome, was formally settled Monday. Secretary of State Michele Reagan says the registration system will now verify the eligibility of each and every person who has yet to provide evidence of citizenship and confirm an individual’s eligibility before issuing them a ballot.
