The DOJ announced it filed a lawsuit Tuesday to stop the legislation that was signed into law by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey in March and was supposed to go into effect early next year. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark at the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said Arizona’s law is a “textbook violation” of the National Registration Act that requires each state to adopt federal voter registration procedures. “For nearly three decades, the National Voter Registration Act has helped move states in the right direction by eliminating unnecessary requirements that have historically made it harder for eligible voters to access registration rolls,” Clarke said in a news release. “Arizona passed a law that turns back the clock on progress by imposing illegal and unnecessary requirements that would keep eligible voters off the registration rolls for certain federal elections. “The Department of Justice will continue to use every tool available to protect the right of all Americans to vote and ensure that their voices are heard.” Arizona wants to require applicants to show proof of citizenship before they can vote in presidential elections or vote by mail in any federal election when applicants use single federal registration. The Justice Department argued that the new law ignored a 2013 Supreme Court ruling that struck down an earlier attempt in 2005 by Arizona to require similar proof of citizenship for residents who want to vote in federal elections. The Justice Department also argued that the law violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because it directs election officials to reject voter registration forms that have minor errors. Clarke sent a June 27 letter, uploaded by Fox News Digital, to Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, threatening litigation but saying the DOJ hopes to resolve the matter “amicably and avoid prolonged litigation.” . Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark at the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the Arizona law is a “textbook violation” of the National Registration Act. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images In a letter Brnovich sent to Clarke on July 1, obtained by Fox News, he said the new law was “common sense” and questioned whether the federal government was “attempting to undermine our sovereignty and destabilize our electoral infrastructure ». In response to the lawsuit, Brnovich said the DOJ wants to allow non-citizens to vote. “In addition to free rooms and transportation for those who enter our country illegally, the Department of Justice now wants to give them a chance to vote,” he told Fox News. Since the 2005 law was repealed, Arizona officials have not allowed voters registered on the federal form to vote in local and state elections. With Post cables
