In a 5-4 order, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to Republican efforts to enforce voting measures in Arizona, which could have potentially blocked over 41,000 voters from casting their ballots in the upcoming presidential election. The appeal, filed by state and national Republicans, aimed to fully enact stricter regulations on voter registration which had been introduced following Democrat Joe Biden's narrow victory over Republican Donald Trump in 2020.

The conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch supported the full enforcement of the law, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined with the court's three liberals in rejecting the push. Although the court did not provide detailed reasoning, the legal battle will continue in the lower courts.

The conflict revolves around new voting measures that were passed on party-line votes and signed into law by then-Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican. These measures require proof of citizenship when registering to vote in state and local elections. However, federal elections for Congress or the presidency do not demand such evidence. Consequently, thousands of voters in Arizona who have not provided proof of citizenship are currently registered for federal elections only.

Approximately 41,352 voters in Arizona fall into this category, according to Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. He expressed concern that implementing the Republican-supported measures so close to the November election would result in chaos and confusion. It is noted that a significant portion of these voters includes military service members, students, and Native Americans. Among these voters, approximately 27% are registered Democrats, 15% Republicans, and 54% are registered as independents.

Voting rights groups and the Biden administration have taken legal action against the Arizona laws, defending the rights of these federal-only voters. On the other hand, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach led a group of Republican attorneys general from 24 states in supporting the restrictions, claiming that the case undermines Arizona's ability to secure its own elections.

This issue traces back to a Supreme Court ruling in 2013, which stated that Arizona cannot require documentary proof of citizenship for individuals voting in national elections. In response, the state implemented a system dividing voters into two categories: those eligible to vote in all races and those limited to federal elections only. The 2022 law further sought to divide these voters, allowing participation in congressional elections without proof of citizenship but denying the same privilege for presidential contests.

The rejection of the Republican push by the Supreme Court is seen as a significant win for voting rights advocates who condemn the law as an attempt to escalate the issue to the now-conservative-leaning court. The continued legal battle in lower courts will determine the fate of these voting restrictions and their impact on the upcoming elections.