Lawsuit against voter identification in AZ

Should we take a stand here in the "show-me" state? Just insert your preferred minority interest group - elderly, disabled, low-income, etc - and a trend could be started...

Lawsuit questions legality of ID rules for elections
Law hurts Latinos,groups say

Matthew Benson and Robbie Sherwood The Arizona Republic May. 10, 2006 12:00 AM

A lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court asks that voter-identification and registration requirements imposed under the 2004 election law known as Proposition 200 be declared unconstitutional.

Several Latino advocacy groups brought the suit on behalf of a handful of Arizona residents. The lawsuit says that Proposition 200, approved by voters, should be stricken down because of its dampening effect on minority voting. It's unclear when the court will decide the issue, but the plaintiffs are seeking a temporary restraining order against Proposition 200, potentially putting the measure on ice for next week's local elections.

Longer term, the suit asks for a court injunction against the measure. Critics say the measure's requirements for proof of citizenship when registering to vote and proper identification when voting have a disproportionate impact on minority voters, who are less likely to meet the requirements.

"By requiring people to have to purchase forms of identification, whether it's a birth certificate or a driver's license, whether it's to register to vote or also to appear and vote in person on Election Day, is a modern-day poll tax," attorney Nina Perales said Tuesday at a news conference.

Here's the MO counterpart: SB1014 - currently in conference