After initial signs showing it would sue Arizona over its restrictive voter ID law, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has effectively filed a lawsuit against the state, seeking to block the law would force residence to provide proof of citizenship in order to vote in federal elections. This article by Rebecca Beitsch , is published by The Hill. Here is an excerpt:

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing the state of Arizona, seeking to block a law that would force residents to provide proof of citizenship in order to vote in federal elections.

The DOJ argues the requirement, part of H.B. 2492 slated to take effect in January, is “a textbook violation of the National Voter Registration Act.”

The suit argues the requirement to provide proof of citizenship would violate not just the 1993 law addressing voter registration but also the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“For nearly three decades, the National Voter Registration Act has helped to move states in the right direction by eliminating unnecessary requirements that have historically made it harder for eligible voters to access the registration rolls. Arizona has passed a law that turns the clock back on progress by imposing unlawful and unnecessary requirements that would block eligible voters from the registration rolls for certain federal elections,” Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.

Read the full article here.