Sec. of State Brewer Expresses Concern and Alarm over Court Decision

Timing of Ninth Circuit Order Could Lead to Confusion at the Polls and Registration Problems

PHOENIX -- Today the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco impeded the will of over one million Arizona voters by temporarily freezing the voter reform measures passed through Proposition 200 in 2004. The voters had passed a law requiring that all voters provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote and produce identification at the polls before receiving a ballot.

Secretary Brewer noted, “This is very alarming to have the Court of Appeals in San Francisco stay these voting measures as passed by the people of Arizona.” Added Secretary Brewer, “the fact is we very successfully implemented identification at the polls during September's Primary Election without a hitch,” added Brewer “given our recent success of ID at the polls, the timing of this decision could not be worse. I can't help but be very concerned about the extreme confusion this will potentially create in re-training poll workers and re-educating the general public so close to the upcoming General Election.”

Today's ruling by the court is by no means the final decision on Arizona's new voting requirements, however, it could very well put Arizona elections back under the old “honor system” that led citizens to be concerned about potential voter fraud in the first place.

Secretary of State Brewer immediately requested the Attorney General to seek an immediate reversal of this decision on appeal. “It is my hope that this measure will be quickly reinstated just as the voters intended.”

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