New Arizona Law Requiring Identification for Voting May Violate Voting Rights Act - Implementation Delayed
A new law requiring voters to provide identification when casting ballots won't apply to the first elections since its approval because Arizona can't guarantee the proposed rules won't keep minorities from voting, said state Attorney General Terry Goddard. Arizona can't implement the requirement approved in Proposition 200 and still ensure it is complying with federal voting requirements, Goddard said in a letter to Secretary of State Jan Brewer. The voting procedures Brewer proposed to comply with the law could have prevented thousand of registered voters from casting ballots and led to legal challenges in the upcoming elections, Goddard said. "Proposition 200 is intended to combat voter fraud, not to prevent qualified citizens from voting, and it should be implemented in a manner consistent with that goal," he said in a statement Thursday. Before implementing the voting provision, the state needs to change statutes to allow voters without proper ID to cast a provisional ballot. Arizona also lacks regulations to guide poll workers regarding which forms of identification are acceptable, Goddard said. Legislative changes to the state statutes, training for elections personnel and clearance from the U.S. Justice Department couldn't be completed in time for the March 8 city and county elections. The elections would have been the first test of the law, which was billed as an anti-illegal immigration initiative and approved by voters in November. Arizona is required to clear election laws and regulations with the U.S. Justice Department because of the state's history of violating the rights of minority voters. [more]