According to a Reuters report, eight U.S. states, including crucial battlegrounds North Carolina and Wisconsin, are proposing constitutional amendments to explicitly prohibit noncitizens from voting.
The proposed measures, set to appear on the November 5 ballot, have ignited a heated debate about election integrity and voter rights. Supporters argue that these amendments address concerns about potential voter fraud, while critics contend that they are part of a broader strategy to challenge election results.
The push for these constitutional amendments is primarily driven by Republican lawmakers and their supporters. They cite record levels of illegal border crossings during President Biden's administration as justification for the measures.
Jason Simmons, chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, expressed the sentiment behind the initiative, stating that individuals across the state are concerned with the electoral process and want to ensure that only legal votes are counted.
However, critics argue that these efforts are largely unnecessary and may be politically motivated. They point out that noncitizen voting in federal elections is already illegal, and instances of such voting are extremely rare.
The proposed amendments come in the wake of former President Donald Trump's persistent claims of election fraud following his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. Trump has continued to assert, without evidence, that noncitizen voting played a role in his defeat.
Republican pollster Whit Ayres, who has worked with prominent GOP figures, commented on the impact of these claims:
You've had the loser of the last presidential election arguing that the election was fraudulent for the last four years, and 70% of Republicans believe it.
While the proposed amendments target noncitizen voting at the state level, it's important to note that only a small number of U.S. localities currently allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. These include Democratic strongholds like San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Notably, the city of Santa Ana, California, is considering its own ballot measure to potentially allow noncitizen residents to vote in municipal elections. This stands in contrast to the restrictive measures being proposed in other states.
Independent studies and statements from election officials, including Republicans, have consistently shown that illegal noncitizen voting is extremely rare. Hannah Alarian, a political science professor at the University of Florida, emphasized this point, stating that the evidence shows this isn't a concern and is not really prevalent at all.
Critics of the proposed amendments argue that they are part of a broader strategy to cast doubt on election results, particularly if Trump loses the upcoming presidential election. They point to recent Republican lawsuits challenging voter registration processes and attempts to pass federal legislation requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Democratic Representative Joseph Morelle expressed concern about the motivations behind these efforts:
The lies being spread by Trump ... about noncitizen voting have been repeatedly debunked. They have persisted in a clear attempt to generate anxiety in the minds of voters, and to serve, come November, as the foundation for false claims of election fraud.
The initiative to ban noncitizen voting through state constitutional amendments highlights the continuing tensions surrounding election security and voter rights in America. These proposed measures, while seemingly redundant given existing federal laws, have become a focal point in the ongoing debate about election integrity and the potential for voter fraud.
