Republicans ask Supreme Court to allow Arizona proof of citizenship law to be enforced

GOP lawmakers have filed an emergency appeal with Justice Elena Kagan

The Republican Party is urging the nation's highest court to allow Arizona to enforce its proof of citizenship requirements ahead of the November election.

The Supreme Court is being asked to allow enforcement of sections of an Arizona law requiring documented proof of citizenship to cast a ballot in the presidential election, including voting by mail.

The Republican National Committee and state GOP lawmakers have filed an emergency appeal with Justice Elena Kagan, who has jurisdiction over time-sensitive applications from Arizona. 

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Supreme Court

The United States Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, D.C. Republicans are asking the court to allow Arizona to implement voting laws that would require proof of citizenship in order to cast a ballot. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Kagan has the discretion to act alone or bring in her eight colleagues to decide the case, Republican National Committee v. Mi Familia Vota.  

She will likely ask opponents of the law to weigh in with written briefs, which would be due in the coming days. 

A federal judge had blocked enforcement of the law, prompting the appeal to the high court for temporary relief.

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The now-stalled 2022 state law requiring proof of citizenship was challenged by civil rights groups and the Arizona Democratic Party. 

I voted stickers arizona

Rolls of "I Voted" stickers are stored at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC) in Phoenix, Arizona. The Arizona proof of citizenship requirement for voters was shot down by a federal judge, prompting the state to turn to the Supreme Court for relief. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

A 2013 Supreme Court ruling previously limited when states could impose such restrictions when voting in federal elections.

A high court order on enforcement in the Arizona case is expected in the coming days or weeks.

This comes as Vice President Kamala Harris — the Democratic Party's presidential nominee — and her running mate Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) plans to rally in the state later Friday, a key election battleground.

Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Authored by Timothy Nerozzi,Bill Mears via FoxNews August 9th 2024