PETITIONER:
Helen Purcell, Maricopa County Recorder, et al.
RESPONDENT:
Maria M. Gonzalez et al.
LOCATION:
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DOCKET NO.: 06-532
DECIDED BY: Roberts Court (2006-2009)
LOWER COURT: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
CITATION: 549 US 1 (2006)
DECIDED: Oct 20, 2006
GRANTED: Oct 20, 2006
ADVOCATES:
Nina Perales - for the respondent
Paul Bender - for the respondent
Dennis I. Wilenchik - for the petitioner
Thomas Lee Hudson - for the respondent
Purcell v. Gonzalez
Facts of the case
In 2002, Arizona passed Proposition 200, which required a photo ID for voter registration. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) notified Arizona’s Secretary of State that Proposition 200 conflicted with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) regarding the need for photo ID as proof of citizenship for mailed voter registration forms. Shortly thereafter, the plaintiffs — Arizona residents, Indian tribes, and community organizations — filed a restraining order to prevent the state of Arizona from enforcing the new rules for voter registration. The petition for a restraining order was denied by the district court. The plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and argued that it should grant an emergency injunction based on the fact that elections were about to begin. The appellate court granted the injunction to stop the enforcement of Proposition 200.
Question
Did the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit err in granting an emergency injunction regarding Proposition 200 close to election time?
