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WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will weigh in on the controversy over voter fraud and decide early next year whether Arizona can require residents to show proof of their citizenship before they register to vote.

The justices agreed to hear Arizona's appeal of an anti-fraud provision that was adopted as a ballot initiative in 2004, but was struck down by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Without this provision, "Arizona is forced to accept what amounts to an honor system as to whether the applicants are citizens or not," said state Atty. Gen. Thomas C. Horne. He was referring to the federal "motor voter" law, which allows people to register to vote in federal elections by filling out a card and simply signing a certification that they are indeed citizens eligible to vote.

In the last two years, legal battles have been fought in several states over new laws that would require registered voters to show proof of their identity before casting a ballot. Typically, these laws require a photo ID card or other documents that would verify the voters' identity. Critics of these provisions have said there is no evidence of people seeking to cast ballots by impersonating others at polling places.

The disputed Arizona provision, by contrast, focuses on the process for registering to vote, and it tries to prevent noncitizens and illegal immigrants from having their names added to the voter rolls. In its legal papers, the state pointed to examples of several noncitizens who had registered and voted in the past.

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