17 Jul What Are the Arizona Voter ID Laws?
The General Election in November 2020 is right around the corner. That means there is still plenty of time to register to vote! As a Defense Law Firm in Pheonix, we are all about your rights. And voting is a right that everyone should have access to and easily be able to exercise. So what are the specific Arizona laws surrounding voting and voter ID?
The History of Voting Laws in Arizona
Arizona has not had a great record in the past of making voting legal or accessible for all its residents. According to a 2018 report by the Arizona Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, “In its early days, Arizona prohibited Native Americans from voting due to their residency and ward status, disenfranchised voters from the polls by requiring literacy tests, and failed to print election materials in languages other than English even as the State’s Spanish-speaking population grew.
They go on to say that, “In the last two decades, Arizona continues to face scrutiny over access to polling locations, language access, voter ID law, dual voter registration, and a restriction on mail-in ballots that may have had a disparate impact on voters in protected classes.”
What is the Arizona Voter ID Law?
In order to legally vote, each Arizona resident is required to show proof of identification. This law exists to prevent voter fraud, and laws like it are present in every state. As outlined in Arizona Revised Statute 16-579, voters are required to present either photo identification or two forms of non-photo identification.
Acceptable photo identification includes:
- Arizona driver license
- Arizona nonoperating identification license
- Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
- United States federal, state or local government-issued identification
Acceptable forms of non-photo identification include:
- Utility bill
- Bank or credit union statement that is dated within ninety days of the date of the election
- Valid Arizona vehicle registration
- Arizona vehicle insurance card
- Indian census card
- Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
- Property tax statement
- Recorder’s certificate
- Voter registration card
- Valid United States federal, state or local government-issued identification
- Any mailing that is labeled as “official election material”
Defense Attorney Phoenix
If you’ve been charged with any crime, you should hire an experienced and proven criminal defense attorney. Todd Coolidge has over 25 years of experience and is certified as a Criminal Law Specialist through the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. He will leave no stone unturned in order to get your charges reduced or dismissed. Call for your free case consultation today.