Opinion ID: 3048352
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Violation of the NVRA

Text: [7] Appellants next claim that Proposition 200 is preempted by the NVRA because, they say, the NVRA prohibits states from requiring that registrants submit proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The NVRA mandates that states either “accept and use the mail voter registration form prescribed by the Federal Election Commission[,]” 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-4(a)(1), or, in the alternative, “develop and use [their own] form,” as long as the latter conforms to the federal guidelines. Id. at § 1973gg-7(b). [8] The NVRA also prohibits states from requiring that the form be notarized or otherwise formally authenticated. Id. Appellants interpret this as a proscription against states requiring documentary proof of citizenship. The language of the statute does not prohibit documentation requirements. Indeed, the statute permits states to “require [ ] such identifying information . . . as is necessary to enable . . . election official[s] to assess the eligibility of the applicant.” Id. at § 1973gg-7(b)(1). The NVRA clearly conditions eligibility to vote on United States citizenship. See 42 U.S.C. §§ 1973gg, 1973gg-7(b)(2)(A). Read together, these two provisions plainly allow states, at least to some extent, to require their citizens to present evidence of citizenship when registering to GONZALEZ v. YES ON PROPOSITION 200 4453 vote. Thus, again plaintiffs have not demonstrated a likelihood of succeeding on the merits of this claim.