East Arizona News

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Wednesday to verify the citizenship of Arizona voters in order to reduce the amount of fraudulent voting and ensure confidence in elections.

Ducey signed House Bill (HB) 2492, which ensures only U.S. citizens vote in Arizona’s elections, according to a press release. His signature followed the Arizona state Senate's advancement of HB 2492.

"Arizona is a leader in election integrity — and election integrity means counting every lawful vote and prohibiting any attempt to illegally cast a vote," Ducey posted on Twitter following his signing of the bill. "#HB2492 does that, while honoring Arizona’s history of making voting accessible."

Just a week ago, on March 23, the Arizona Senate passed HB2492 by a vote of 16-12. Two Senators did not vote. The bill was then sent to Ducey's desk to await his signature or veto. The Arizona House of Representatives also passed HB2492 on Feb. 28 by a vote of 31-26, with three abstentions.

In a letter that outlines Ducey's support of the bill, he wrote, “Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. Arizona law prohibits noncitizens from voting for all state and local offices, and requires proof of citizenship. H.B. 2492 provides clarity to Arizona law on how officials process federal form voter registration applications that lack evidence of citizenship.”

According to the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, HB 2492 requires voter registration applications to include proof of citizenship, requires county election authorities to rigorously verify citizenship and to reject applications from individuals who cannot verify U.S. citizenship. The measure also will require voters to provide proof of citizenship if they desire to vote early by mail and to cast any vote in a presidential election.

According to the press release, the legislation adds relevant databases that counties must check so voter rolls are well maintained. It also ensures the Arizona attorney general has the information needed in order to enforce election-related violations.

An analysis by Ballotpedia shows that a number of states do not currently have clear language specifying that only citizens are eligible to vote, and notes that several municipalities across the country have moved to allow noncitizens the right to vote in municipal elections.