Federal election officials appeal ruling in voter citizenship case

? Federal election officials have appealed a judge’s ruling requiring them to help Kansas and Arizona fully enforce state laws requiring voters to prove their U.S. citizenship.

A court filing Wednesday comes a day after the U.S. Election Assistance Commission formally notified U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren of its intent to appeal his March 19 ruling.

Melgren had ordered the agency to immediately modify a national voter registration form to add special instructions for Arizona and Kansas residents about those states’ proof-of-citizenship requirements.

The case has already been appealed to the 10th Circuit Court by more than a dozen voting rights organizations that had intervened in the case. Melgren has not yet ruled on the requests by the agency and those groups asking him to stay his order during the appeal.