A 2004 Arizona law requiring people registering to vote in federal elections to provide proof of citizenship was struck down by the Supreme Court on Monday in a 7-2 vote.
The Court decided that the law, known as Proposition 200, contradicted a federal law, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, known as the “motor voter” law, according to Reuters.
The federal Act requires registering voters to provide a form of identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, and to sign a statement affirming they are citizens without providing any official documentation.
Dissenting Justices were Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Justice Antonia Scalia wrote for the court’s majority that the National Voter Registration Act “precludes Arizona from requiring a federal form applicant to submit information beyond that required by the form itself,” reports the Washington Post.
Though the case focused on Arizona, the decision has broad consequences, as Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, and Tennessee have similar regulations. Twelve other states are currently considering similar bills.
In his dissension, Justice Thomas wrote that the Constitution “authorizes states to determine the qualifications of voters in federal elections, which necessarily includes the related power to determine whether those qualifications are satisfied.”
Arizona’s voter registration rules were a part of a law that also denied certain government benefits to illegal immigrants.