Does Arizona require proof of citizenship for state elections but not federal elections?

Since 2004, Arizona has required proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections, after voters approved a ballot proposition requiring residents to provide “satisfactory evidence of citizenship” when registering to vote. Federal voter registration, however, requires individuals to attest under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. 

Voters who submit their federal voter registration form in Arizona without citizenship proof are only eligible to vote in federal elections. 

In 2022, the Arizona legislature tried to make proof of citizenship mandatory for federal elections, but the law was struck down in court. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Arizona couldn’t require this for federal elections because it conflicted with federal law. 

An Arizona bill passed in 2022 made a second attempt, but it was also struck down, this time by the U.S. District Court of Arizona. State Republicans are appealing the ruling.

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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.