Supreme Court Weighs Appeals on State Voting Laws in Four States

The Supreme Court is considering appeals involving voting laws in Arkansas, Texas, Arizona and Pennsylvania. The cases concern limits on voter assistance, proof-of-citizenship rules for registration and requirements for mailed ballots. If the justices accept any of the cases, arguments would likely occur during the term that begins in October, with rulings issued after the midterm elections.

A Latino civil rights group is challenging an Arkansas law that makes it a crime for anyone other than an election official to help more than six voters cast a ballot. State officials say the measure, enacted in 2009, prevents exploitation of a federal civil rights provision that allows assistance for voters with limited English proficiency.

A federal judge struck down the restriction, but a federal appeals court reversed that ruling. The appeals court held that the Voting Rights Act can be enforced only by the federal government, not by private lawsuits. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, representing the group Arkansas United, is asking the Supreme Court to review the decision.

Voting rights groups are contesting a Texas law that criminalizes paying someone to help a voter complete a mailed ballot. The 2020 measure is defended by state officials as an election-integrity provision. Lower courts split on whether the state law conflicts with the Voting Rights Act.

An appeals court sided with Texas, ruling that the federal statute is silent on compensation for assistance. The American Civil Liberties Union is urging the Supreme Court to take the case.

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to revive Arizona voter registration requirements that lower courts blocked. Those requirements include documentary proof of citizenship and procedures for removing non-citizens from voter rolls. The National Voter Registration Act directs states to accept a standard federal form that requires only an oath of citizenship.