Arizona Supreme Court rules voters caught in proof-of-citizenship glitch can still get ‘full ballot,’ including state races

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Friday that nearly 100,000 residents who may not have fulfilled the state’s proof-of-citizenship requirements can still vote in state and local races this year, quickly resolving how election officials should address a clerical glitch that had left the eligibility of those registered voters in question.

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Friday that nearly 100,000 residents who may not have fulfilled the state’s proof-of-citizenship requirements can still vote in state and local races this year, quickly resolving how election officials should address a clerical glitch that had left the eligibility of those registered voters in question. The court was asked to decide whether these voters should get a “federal-only” ballot or the “full ballot,” which would also include state and local races. Regardless of the outcome, these voters would have been able to cast presidential ballots. Arizona uses these separate ballots because the state requires all voters to prove their citizenship before they can vote in state and local races. Such documentation isn’t required to cast ballots for federal office in Arizona. The decision to let these roughly 98,000 voters use the full ballot is a victory for Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state and liberal groups that pushed for this outcome. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled just three days after the lawsuit was filed. Election officials hoped a quick resolution of the issue would reduce confusion heading into voting season. This is a developing story and will be updated.