RNC Sues Arizona Over Voting Rights Question

The Republican National Committee, along with the Republican Party of Arizona, has filed suit against the state of Arizona, claiming it improperly allows people who have never lived in the U.S. to participate in state elections.

At the heart of the issue is the state's application of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. The act allows "certain groups of citizens to register and vote absentee in elections for Federal offices."

Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley said in a Monday post that Arizona goes too far. "Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is allowing people who have never even lived in the state to vote. The RNC is working with the @AZGOP to sue Fontes and defend Arizona rights and clean their voter rolls. Only Arizonans should vote in Arizona elections. Plain and simple."

Residency is a key issue in the Republicans' complaint, claiming Arizona is unconstitutionally "permitting individuals who have never lived in the United States to register to vote in the state."

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a partial ruling on the issue in 2024, according to The Hill. But the justices did not go far enough to satisfy the Republican demands about citizenship and residency requirements.

Whatley accused Democrats of working to subvert the votes of Arizona residents. "Democrats want to cheat in our elections by allowing votes from people who have never established legal residency. The RNC is defending the rights of Arizona voters to stop this unconstitutional law in its tracks."

Arizona has been a hotbed of fighting about elections and voting rights. In 2022, the administration of then-President Joe Biden sued the state over voter eligibility requirements. President Donald Trump, in 2022, called for a "Do Over" of the state's presidential voting and said the state's voting results reporting was "tainted."

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