Arizona will require voters to prove citizenship, residency

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - It has been a couple of busy days for Governor Doug Ducey who signed many controversial bills into law surrounding transgender and abortion laws, but the ongoing battle over election laws in the state came down with another crucial bill.

A new bill signed by Ducey will require voters to prove their citizenship to vote in a presidential election, drawing fierce opposition from voting rights advocates who say it risks affecting some 200,000 people.

The bill also requires anyone newly registering to vote to provide proof of their address.

Ducey called the bill “a balanced approach that honors Arizona’s history of making voting accessible without sacrificing security in our elections.”

Some lawyers in the legislation even say much of the measure is unconstitutional, directly contradicts a recent Supreme Court decision and is likely to be thrown out in court.

But still, voting rights advocates worry the bill is an attempt to get back in front of the now more conservative Supreme Court.

Election officials also argue much of the bill is unnecessary and further complicates things, especially among people who don’t have an Arizona driver’s license or state ID with an up-to-date address, making it more likely they miss the cut-off to vote in the general election.