A federal appeals court has upheld the key provisions of Arizona's voter-registration law, dealing a blow to efforts by voting rights organizations to challenge the law. The court rejected arguments that the law's cancellation provision could improperly remove eligible voters from the rolls and that the provision making it a felony to knowingly provide a "mechanism for voting" to someone registered in another state was too vague.
In separate news, a California judge has temporarily blocked a Shasta County measure that would have dramatically changed how elections are conducted in the Northern California county. Measure B, approved by voters in June, would have required government-issued photo identification for voter registration and in-person voting, restricted vote-by-mail and early voting, and established a county voter-registration system separate from California's statewide system.
The California Attorney General and Secretary of State sued to block the measure, arguing that Shasta County's status as a charter county does not mean it can adopt its own election rules conflicting with those of the state. The judge granted a preliminary injunction, halting the implementation of the measure's provisions pending further litigation.
The court's rulings have been welcomed by election officials in both states, who have expressed relief that the disputes have been resolved ahead of the upcoming November election. The outcome will likely have significant implications for election processes in Arizona and California in the coming months.