Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. |
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| Argued March 18, 2013 Decided June 17, 2013 |
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| Full case name | Arizona, et al., Petitioners v. The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc., et al. |
| Docket nos. | 12-71 |
| Citations | 570 U.S. 1 (more)
133 S. Ct. 2247; 186 L. Ed. 2d 239
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| Prior history | Gonzalez v. Arizona, 624 F.3d 1162 (9th Cir. 2010); on rehearing en banc, 677 F.3d 383 (9th Cir. 2012); cert. granted, 568 U.S. 962 (2012). |
| Holding | |
| Arizona's evidence-of-citizenship requirement, as applied to Federal Form applicants, is pre-empted by the National Voter Registration Act's mandate for states "accept and use" the Federal Form. | |
| Court membership | |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Scalia, joined by Roberts, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan; Kennedy (in part) |
| Concurrence | Kennedy (in part) |
| Dissent | Thomas |
| Dissent | Alito |
| Laws applied | |
| National Voter Registration Act & Elections Clause | |
Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. was an important case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 2013. It was about whether the state of Arizona could ask for special proof of citizenship when people registered to vote. The Supreme Court decided that Arizona's rules went against federal laws about voting. This meant that the state's extra requirements were not allowed.
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What Was This Case About?
This case looked at how states and the federal government share power over elections. The main question was if Arizona's rule for voter registration was allowed. This rule asked people to show official documents to prove they were U.S. citizens when they signed up to vote.
Why Did Arizona Have This Rule?
Arizona's rule came from a public vote in 2004 called Arizona Proposition 200 (2004). This proposition aimed to make sure only eligible citizens voted. It required people to show proof of citizenship when registering. It also required them to show identification when they voted on election day.
The state law said that election officials must reject any voter registration application. This included the special "Federal Form" used across the country. They had to reject it if it didn't come with proof of citizenship.
How Did the Case Start?
A group of people and organizations in Arizona thought this law was unfair. They believed it made it harder for some people to vote. So, they took Arizona to court.
- The first court, the District Court of Arizona, sided with Arizona.
- But then, a higher court, the Ninth Circuit Court, disagreed. In 2010, they said Arizona's rule was invalid. They felt it went against the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). This federal law helps people register to vote easily.
- The Ninth Circuit Court looked at the case again in 2012. They still decided that Arizona's proof of citizenship rule was not allowed. However, they agreed that Arizona could ask for ID at the polling place on election day.
Why Did It Go to the Supreme Court?
Arizona was not happy with the Ninth Circuit's decision. So, in July 2012, Arizona asked the Supreme Court of the United States to review the case. The Supreme Court agreed to hear it in October 2012. They listened to arguments from both sides on March 18, 2013.
What Did the Supreme Court Decide?
On June 17, 2013, the Supreme Court made its decision. They ruled 7-2 against Arizona. This meant Arizona's special voter registration rule was struck down.
Justice Scalia wrote the main opinion for the Court. He said that Arizona's rules were "pre-empted" by the federal NVRA law. This means the federal law took priority. The NVRA says states must "accept and use" the Federal Form for voter registration. Arizona's extra requirement went against this.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito disagreed with the majority.
The Court also mentioned that states have power over who can vote. But Congress has power over how federal elections are held. The Court suggested ways Arizona could try to add more requirements in the future. They could ask the federal government to change the rules for the Federal Form.
