After the Supreme Court ruled against an Arizona law requiring voters to prove their citizenship before registering to vote, one of the state’s senators, Ted Cruz introduced an amendment to the Senate’s immigration reform legislation granting states the right to request the right to proof that was rejected by the court.
The Arizona law, enacted in 2004, required all people registering to vote to prove their citizenship beyond what is formally requested in the voter registration process. On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that the provisions in the National Voter Registration Act were sufficient and legally superseded any state-created requirements.
Reacting to the decision, conservative Arizona Senator Ted Cruz tweeted his disappointment in the decision, and announced that he would seek to continue Arizona’s registration practices by creating the policy on the Federal level. “I’ll file amendment to immigration bill that permits states to require ID before registering voters & close this hole in fed statutory law,” tweeted Cruz.
As good as his word, later yesterday Cruz introduced an amendment to the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform bill that would permit states to require proof of citizenship for registration to vote in elections for federal office, essentially altering the National Voter Registration Act. Cruz has said that, by failing to prove citizenship for potential voters, there is more of an opportunity for voter fraud.
“This hole in federal statutory law allow non-citizens to register and thereby encourages voter fraud,” wrote Cruz on his social media account. “I will file a commonsense amendment to the immigration bill that permits states to require I.D. before registering voters.”
Cruz’s amendment is certainly not the only one being considered for incorporation into the immigration reform legislation. Politico reports that dozens of lawmakers are trying to get their policies attached to the immigration reform legislation, as Senators are currently in the process of determining which elements will ultimately be voted upon on the Senate floor.
In addition to his bill changing voting registration requirements, Cruz has also filed amendments to the immigration reform legislation that would bar undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States from ever becoming citizens and to prevent green card recipients from becoming eligible for public assistance even after a five-year waiting period outlined in the current bill.