Alabama, Georgia, and Kansas can no longer demand proof of citizenship from would-be voters

Would-be voters in Alabama, Georgia, and Kansas cannot be required to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to vote, a federal court of appeals ruled Friday night.

The 2-1 decision struck down a lower court's ruling in favor of the laws and ordered all voter applications submitted since January 29 to be treated as if proof of citizenship were not a stated requirement. The rule was previously enforced only in Kansas, where it is estimated to have kept at least 20,000 people from registering to vote.

Supporters of voter ID laws say they are necessary to prevent in-person voter fraud, but opponents argue such rules discriminate against the 7 percent of Americans who do not have proof of citizenship while addressing a nearly nonexistent problem. The other 47 states only require voters to swear to their citizenship instead of providing formal documentation.

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