Grand Canyon Times

American Majority Action founder Ned Ryun posted on X on Monday that Arizona’s Medicaid office is informing individuals that they can still vote with a “federal-only” ballot even if they don’t provide proof of U.S. citizenship.

“I will run this out, again. A form from Arizona’s AHCCCS (Medicaid office) very explicitly telling folks that if their citizenship status cannot be confirmed, no worries. We’ll make sure to send you a ‘federal-only’ ballot,” Ryun wrote in his post.

The form from the Arizona AHCCCS office, shared by Ryun, details that proof of citizenship is required by 5 p.m. on the Thursday before Election Day in order to vote with “a full ballot,” which includes “all federal, state, county, and local races and ballot questions for which you are eligible to vote.”

However, if an individual does not submit proof of citizenship but is registered to vote, they will “receive a ‘federal-only’ ballot, which has only federal races and no state, county, or local races or initiatives/referendums.”

Subsequently, the Grand Canyon Times reached out to Arizona’s Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) for clarification. That inquiry was then forwarded to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, which oversees voter registration and election procedures.

According to the office, voters receiving a federal-only ballot for the 2024 General Election do so in light of a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

“Yes, because it is the law. Many of these folks are college students who come here from out of state and don’t have proof of citizen documents. You’ll find many of them within the tribal communities, too,” Aaron Thacker of the Secretary of State’s Office said regarding the issuance of federal-only ballots.

Thacker referred to the Maricopa County Recorder in explaining that in 2004, Arizona voters passed Prop 200, requiring documented proof of citizenship in order to vote. Groups then challenged the law, saying that it conflicted with an existing federal law, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).

“Federal law only requires attestation under penalty of law that the voter is a U.S. Citizen. In 2012, the United States Supreme Court agreed with plaintiffs that the Arizona law conflicted [with the NVRA] (Arizona v. ITCA). Therefore, Arizona could only keep the documented proof of citizenship requirement for state and local elections, not federal elections (President, U.S. Senate, U.S. House). That’s why Arizona has a ‘Federal Only’ designation – voters who can vote in only federal elections,” Thacker told the Grand Canyon Times.

“But this applies to a small percentage. About 99.5% of registered Arizona voters have provided documented proof of citizenship and can vote a full ballot. The other 0.5% have attested under penalty of law that they are U.S. Citizens, but they have not provided documentation, and therefore they can only vote in federal elections. Arizona is one of only a handful of states to have a documented proof of citizenship requirement. And it is the only state where this issue has been litigated.”

Arizona Revised Statute 16-123 provides that “a person who registers to vote in Arizona shall provide an identifying document that establishes proof of location of residence” and Page 15 of Arizona’s Election Procedures Manual states that “a County Recorder has no duty to verify the registrant’s residency status and shall rely on the registrant’s documentation or affirmation of residency.”

Arizona Revised Statute 16-103 adds, “In lieu of the voter providing the identifying document, a County Recorder may provide the document via any record maintained by the County Recorder’s Office. But that requirement does not apply to qualified persons who are temporarily absent from the state or persons in the service of the United States.”

In order to register to vote in Arizona, one must:

• Be a citizen of the United States of America;

• Be a resident of Arizona and the county listed on your registration;

• Be 18 years of age on or before the day of the next regular General Election;

• Provide documentation or affirmation as Proof of Residency.

For accepted forms of citizenship verification, one may present a valid Arizona driver’s license or non-operating identification card issued after Oct. 1, 1996. If one does not have a driver’s license, the following documents will also qualify for proof of citizenship:

• An Indian Census Number, Bureau of Indian Affairs Card Number, Tribal Treaty Card Number or fill in your Tribal Enrollment Number in Box 10 on the voter registration form.

• A photocopy of one’s U.S. naturalization documents or fill in an Alien Registration Number in Box 11 on the voter registration form.

• A legible photocopy of one’s birth certificate and supporting legal documentation (i.e., marriage certificate) if the name on the birth certificate is not the same as one’s current legal name.

• A legible photocopy of the pertinent pages of one’s U.S. passport.

• A legible photocopy of one’s Tribal Certificate of Indian Blood or Bureau of Indian Affairs Affidavit of Birth.

Federal-only voters apply to register using this registration form.