Voter Registration Fight Rekindled

Kansas and Arizona have rekindled a lawsuit seeking to force the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to require residents of the two states to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

The states contend the agency’s recent denial of their requests was "unlawful, arbitrary, capricious" in a federal case that has broad implications for voting rights.

Both states asked a federal judge in Wichita late Friday to order federal election officials to include state-specific requirements in federal voter registration forms.

Kansas and Arizona require voters to provide a birth certificate, passport or other proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. People who register using the federal form only sign a statement under oath that they are U.S. citizens.

A two-day hearing beginning Feb. 11 is set in Wichita.