U.S. Senators James Lankford and Jim Inhofe are members of a group of Senators asking the Supreme Court to hear a case dealing with state voter laws. The group submitted an amicus brief for DNC v. Hobbs out of Arizona. They contend the lower court’s decision would jeopardize neutral voting laws designed to prevent election fraud.
The case involves two Arizona election laws that include a ban on ballot-harvesting, which the Republican Senators fear invites voter fraud. The brief contends the Ninth Circuit’s reading of the Voting Rights Act was “plainly wrong.”
“Balancing voter access with election security is a crucial task that our Founders left almost entirely to the states. Laws that help prevent undue election influence or voter manipulation should be implemented wherever necessary to ensure free and fair elections. We should not accept Russian or domestic election tampering,” said Lankford. “The Voting Rights Act sought to rightfully correct malicious and discriminatory election restrictions around the country, not to interfere with states’ abilities to enact time, place, and manner voting laws that prevent potential fraud. Laws that prevent fraud-prone ballot harvesting help states like Oklahoma protect our elections. The Supreme Court should hear this case and clarify the constitutional limits of the Voting Rights Act.”
The other Senators in the group are Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator John Cornyn, Senator Tom Cotton and Senator Mike Lee.
The Supreme Court will decide whether to take the case later this year.
You can read the amicus brief here.
