© 2024 KMUW
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Judge Eric Melgren To Hear Arguments Over Voter Citizenship Law

U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren will hear arguments on Friday in a lawsuit seeking to force the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to change the national voter registration form for Kansas and Arizona.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Arizona counterpart Ken Bennett want instructions on the federal form that requires Kansas and Arizona residents to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

Kobach and Bennett want these changes made before next year's mid-term elections.

Kobach has pushed the proof-of-citizenship policy as a way to prevent non-citizens--from registering and possibly voting.

The Justice Department says such a change places an additional obstacle for eligible voters and would affect nationwide policy by setting a precedent.

The current federal registration form requires only that someone sign a statement that he or she is a U.S. citizen.

On Thursday, Magistrate Judge David Waxse granted the requests to intervene a the case filed by groups including: the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, League of United Latin American Citizens Arizona and League of Women Voters of the United States.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.