Arizona counties won’t be forced to do citizenship checks before the election, a judge rules

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge has rejected a request to require Arizona’s 15 counties to verify the citizenship of about 42,000 voters registered to vote only in federal elections. The judge said in a ruling Friday that those who sought the checks didn’t have legal standing and that their request was made too close to the Nov. 5 election. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by a voter and the conservaitve advocacy group Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona. The presidential battleground state requires voters to prove citizenship to participate in local and state races. Voters who don’t provide proof of citizenship but still swear they are U.S. citizens are allowed to vote only for president and Congress.