proof of citizenship; voter registration

57th Legislature - First Regular Session Introduced by Pamela Carter and 2 co-sponsors

The memorial urges federal law to let states require documentary proof of citizenship on the federal voter registration form, enabling state-specific instructions.

Transmit to Secretary of State

Main purpose

H.C.M. 2015 is a concurrent memorial from the Arizona Legislature urging the U.S. Congress and President to enact federal legislation requiring the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to include state‑specific instructions on the federal voter registration form — specifically permitting states to require documentary proof of citizenship on that federal form. The memorial also asks that Congress formally recognize states’ plenary authority over presidential electors and voter qualifications.

Key provisions / what the memorial asks for

Urges Congress to pass and the President to sign legislation that:

Requires the EAC to place state‑specific instructions on the federal voter registration form, including any documentary proof‑of‑citizenship requirements set by a state.
Recognizes the “plenary power” of states over presidential elections, voter qualifications, and the manner of determining that those qualifications have been met.

Directs the Arizona Secretary of State to transmit copies of the memorial to the President, the President of the U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House, and each member of Congress from Arizona.

Legal and factual context cited in the memorial

References the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA, 1993), which created a federal voter registration form that states must “accept and use.”

Cites the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Inter Tribal Council v. Arizona (2013) and argues that the decision and EAC practice have prevented Arizona from placing its proof‑of‑citizenship requirement on the federal form.

Asserts (Arizona’s position) that the NVRA and Inter Tribal Council have led to a bifurcated registration system and that nearly 50,000 Arizona registrants are “actively registered” without having provided proof of citizenship.

Who would be affected

Federal actors: Congress, the President, and the Election Assistance Commission (if the requested federal legislation were enacted).

State election officials: changes would affect how state and federal registration processes interoperate and how states verify voter qualifications.

Voters and registrants: particularly federal‑form applicants in states that require documentary proof of citizenship.

Arizona officials: the memorial formalizes the State’s request and transmits it to federal officials.

Immediate effect and procedural timeline

As a concurrent memorial, H.C.M. 2015 expresses the Legislature’s position and requests federal action; it is not itself binding federal or state law.

Legislative timeline in Arizona:

Introduced: Feb 12, 2025 (House first reading)
Passed House: March 5, 2025
Passed Senate: May 6, 2025
Filed with Arizona Secretary of State / Transmitted: May 7, 2025

Potential implications if federal action followed

If Congress enacted legislation as requested, the EAC’s federal form and guidance could be changed to allow or require inclusion of state‑specific proof‑of‑citizenship instructions, potentially altering the federal‑state balance in voter registration and affecting compliance, verification procedures, and litigation over voter qualification requirements.

Bill