Saying he is not willing to maintain a dual registration system, Secretary of State Ken Bennett is asking the court to order the federal Election Assistance Commission to modify its voter registration forms to demand proof of citizenship. In legal filings Wednesday, Bennett said he needs an immediate order to ensure that Arizona and Kansas — which is seeking the same relief — are not denied “their sovereign and constitutional right to establish and enforce voter qualifications.” Without the order, Bennett said the state will forced to register unqualified voters. The U.S. Supreme Court in June ruled that Arizona is required to accept the federally designed form, even though it does not require the proof of citizenship that Arizona voters mandated in 2004. The justices, in a 7-2 ruling, said Congress was legally entitled to impose that mandate when it comes to federal elections.
But Bennett concluded earlier this month there is a legal work-around: a dual voter registration system, one for those who can prove citizenship and therefore can vote on all races, and a second for those without such proof, who could vote only in federal contests. And he ordered counties to put that into place just weeks ago.
Now, however, Bennett contends that will be “unduly burdensome.’’ So he wants a federal judge in Kansas who is hearing the case to order the Election Assistance Commission to add a proof-of-citizenship requirement .
Bennett and Kris Kobach, his Kansas counterpart, are seeking a hearing on Nov. 12 or shortly thereafter.
Full Article: State asks court to force feds to modify voter registration forms.