The subject of voter integrity and voter identity has really ramped up, especially since the questionable 2020 election. Back then, just to name a few, there were instances of dead people voting, fake mail in ballots, and illegal aliens even casting a ballot. All of which is unlawful. The subject of voter citizenship has particularly been hotly contested, shockingly.
If you are not a citizen of the United States, you should not get to vote. The idea is pretty basic, and not at all outlandish. But Democrats see free votes for themselves in illegal immigrants, so they have made extraordinary efforts to keep that alive. That includes in Arizona, where the 9th circuit court of appeals ruled that the state cannot require proof of citizenship to vote, or for mail-in ballots.
But, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with 23 other Attorneys General, have formed a coalition to ask the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the federal court's injunction. Political analyst Michelle Maples says this entire case rests with Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, which is not ideal.
"My guess is that she will deny this...which means the appeal will take longer, and the decision will not come down until after the election," she says.
This case ended up with her after Arizona's GOP filed an emergency order to reinstate voter citizenship checks. Justice Kagan has the ruling due to her overseeing emergency appeals in the Western half of the country.
There are plenty of options on the table, though.
"She can ask for a responding brief from the opposition or kick it to the full Supreme Court for a vote...but she does not have to do that. She can rule on it one way or the other, and it is entirely legal," she says.
The whole idea of prohibiting a state from checking if a person is a U.S. citizen to vote is just lunacy in itself. But add in the fact that this is all to push for illegal immigrant votes, and you have a whole other mess.
"It does make people wince and ask if these individuals are voting in our elections...if they are on the path to lawfully be an American, then they can vote," she says.
But if you oppose the idea, according to Democrats, you are some racist, nationalist psychopath who hates immigrants.
"You have the left saying this is voter suppression, and IDs are racist somehow...the other side says this is about election integrity...there are two sides tot he coin, in my opinion, I side with election integrity," says Maples. "I want to make sure only Americans are voting in our elections.
Justice Kagan is expected to rule on the case by August 22nd.
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