419S5thSt,Suite1-Laramie,WY82070–307.472.5939–EqualityState.org
November4,2016
EdwardMurray
WyomingSecretaryofState
2020CareyAvenue
Suites600and700
Cheyenne,WY82002-0020
SecretaryMurray,
YourofficehasillegallydirectedWyomingCountyClerkstosuspendtherighttovotefor
certainnaturalizedcitizensunlessanduntiltheyareabletoprovidedocumentaryproofof
citizenship,suchasanaturalizationcertificate,in-persontoapotentiallyinaccessible
countyclerk’soffice.Weurgeyoutoimmediatelycease-and-desistthisdiscriminatoryand
unconstitutionalpolicysothatnonaturalizedcitizenisdisenfranchisedinnextweek’s
election,oranyelectionthereafter.
Thispolicyunconstitutionallytargetsvotersbasedsolelyonthefactthattheymayhave
oncebeennoncitizenswhentheyappliedforaWyomingdriver’slicense.Butitisnot
unusualforanoncitizentoapplyforaWyomingdriver’slicenseandthenlaterbecomea
naturalizedcitizenandregistertovote,especiallywhendriver’slicensesforresidentaliens
lastupto10years.TheirnamesmayalsoappearasnoncitizensintheWyoming
DepartmentofTransportation(WYDOT)databasebecauseofdataentryerrors.
Yourofficemustalsoconsidertheimpactofcountyclerkssendingconfusing,intimidating
letterstonewlynaturalizedcitizensthatbaselesslyaccusethemofbeingnoncitizens,and
whichsuggestthattheywillbeintroubleiftheyattempttoexercisetheirfundamental
righttovote.Fearinglegalconsequences,manyofthesevotersmaysimplygiveupvoting
ratherthancomplywiththisonerousandunconstitutionalrequirement.
ThispolicyviolatestheUnitedStatesConstitutioninthefollowingways:
I.
YourpolicydiscriminatesagainstUnitedStatescitizensbasedontheir
nationalorigin
First,yourpolicydiscriminatesagainstUnitedStatescitizensonthebasisofnationalorigin
inviolationoftheEqualProtectionClauseoftheFourteenthAmendment.Althoughboth
native-bornandnaturalizedcitizensregistertovotebyswearingunderpenaltyofperjury
thattheyareUnitedStatescitizens—anappropriategatekeepingmethodrecently
approvedbytheCourtofAppealsfortheTenthCircuit,seeFishv.Kobach,---F.3d---,2016
WL6093990,at*18(10thCir.Oct.19,2016)—yourequireonlynaturalizedcitizensto
satisfythisextrarequirementbeforetheycanexercisetheirrighttovote.Relianceon
outdatedandfaultyWYDOTdatabaseinformationisnotasufficientlycompellingreason
forthisdiscrimination.
Itisoffensiveto“assum[e]thatnaturalizedcitizensasaclassarelessreliableandbearless
allegiancetothiscountrythandothenativeborn.”Schneiderv.Rusk,377U.S.163,165
(1964).Forthatreason,courtshavestruckdowndiscriminatoryvotingrequirementsthat
singleoutnaturalizedcitizens.See,e.g.,Boustaniv.Blackwell,460F.Supp.2d822,825-27
(N.D.Ohio2006)(requiringdocumentaryproofofcitizenshipofnaturalizedcitizensbut
notnative-borncitizensisunconstitutionallydiscriminatory);Stateexrel.Williamsv.
Moorhead,148N.W.552,557(Neb.1914)(“Weareunabletosee[thepotentialforfraud]
whereanaturalizedcitizenisattemptingtoregister,anymorethanitwouldifoneclaiming
tobenativebornweremakingapplication.”);AttorneyGeneralv.CityofDetroit,44N.W.
388,392-93L.R.A.99(Mich.1889)(“Thisdistinctionbetweennative-bornandnaturalized
electorsisanunfairone,and...entirelyunnecessaryinordertopreventfraud...Alaw
thattreatsthesemenasmenwhoseoathscannotbetakenintheirowninterest,whileit
permitsanative-borncitizentoprovehisstandingasavoterbyhisowntestimony,...is
notonlyunjust,butunconstitutional,unlessappliedtoall.”).
NorisyourpolicyjustifiedunderWyominglaw.Wyominglawonlypermitselections
officialstostrikeavoterfromtheregistrationlists“afterathoroughinvestigation”into
theirqualifications—notbefore.W.S.§23-3-105(emphasisadded).Immediatelynullifying
avoter’sregistrationsimplybecausetheirnameisflaggedonanoutdatedorpossibly
erroneousWYDOTdatabase,withoutanyattempttoaccountforthedifficultiesof
obtainingnaturalizationcertificates,isirresponsibleandhardlyconstitutesa“thorough
investigation.”Andinanyevent,Wyominglawsmustbeinterpretedinawaythatcomplies
withtheUnitedStatesConstitution.
II.
Yourpolicyimposesanunlawfulpolltaxforthosewhodonothavea
naturalizationcertificate
Second,yourpolicyimposesanunlawfulpolltaxonnaturalizedcitizenswhowouldbe
forcedtospend$345foraneworreplacementnaturalizationcertificate,or$135fora
UnitedStatespassportthattheydonotneed,inviolationoftheTwenty-Fourth
AmendmentandtheEqualProtectionClause.1SeeHarmanv.Forssenius,380U.S.528
(1965);Harperv.Va.Bd.ofElections,383U.S.663(1966);Boustani,460F.Supp.2dat826
(requiringnaturalizationcertificatesimposesapolltax);Milw.BranchofNAACPv.Walker,
851N.W.2d262,277(Wis.2014)(unlawfultorequirevoterstopaymoneyforadocument,
e.g.,abirthcertificate,inordertovote).
1Therearemanyreasonswhyanaturalizedcitizenmaynolongerpossessavalidnaturalizationcertificate.
Theymaybelost,theymayhavechangedtheirnamessincenaturalization,orfortransgenderindividuals,the
genderidentificationonthecertificatemaybeinaccurate.
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III. Yourpolicyimposesanundueburdenontherighttovote
Third,yourpolicyimposesanundueburdenontherighttovoteforthosewhonotonly
havetopayforaneworreplacementnaturalizationcertificate,butalsohavetowaituptoa
yearfortheirnaturalizationcertificateapplicationstobeprocessed.SeeBoustani,460F.
Supp.2dat825.ThevoteristhendisenfranchisedineverysingleWyomingelectionthat
occurswhiletheapplicationispending.Inaddition,thepolicyimposesanundueburden
forvoterswhocannoteasilybringthesedocumentsin-persontotheonecountyclerk’s
officesituatedintheircounty,suchasvoterswhoareelderly,havedisabilities,orother
accessibilityissues.
Votingrestrictionsthatimposeanundueburdenonvoting—evenforasingleperson—are
unconstitutional.SeeAndersonv.Celebrezze,460U.S.780,788-89(1983);Burdickv.
Takushi,504U.S.428,434(1992).AstheSeventhCircuitCourtofAppealsrecently
explained:“Therighttovoteispersonalandisnotdefeatedbythefactthat99%ofother
peoplecansecurethenecessarycredentialseasily.”Frankv.Walker,819F.3d384,386(7th
Cir.2016).
*
*
*
“Thereisnorightmorebasicinourdemocracythantherighttoparticipateinelectingour
politicalleaders.”McCutcheonv.FEC,134S.Ct.1434,1440-41(2014).Thisrightisjustas
precioustonaturalizedcitizensastonative-borncitizens.“Thereisnosuchthingasa
second-classcitizenorasecond-classAmerican.Frankly,withoutnaturalizedcitizens,
therewouldbenoAmerica.”Boustani,490F.Supp.2dat877.Itis“shamefultoimagine”
thatyourpolicyisanexampleofhowtheStateofWyomingsays“‘thankyou’tothosewho
helpedbuildthiscountry.”Id.
InordertocomplywiththeUnitedStatesConstitution,weurgeyourofficetoimmediately
cease-and-desistthispolicyandpromptlyinstructallcountyclerkstodisregardthelistof
allegednoncitizensthatyourofficehasprovidedtothem,andtoallowalldulyregistered
voterstocastaregularballotinthiselection.
Sincerely,
BriannaL.Jones
ExecutiveDirector EqualityStatePolicyCenter(ESPC)
SeanJ.Young
SeniorStaffAttorney
AmericanCivilLibertiesUnionFoundation,Inc.(ACLU)
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