Noncitizen Voting Bans at the State Level Gain Momentum
A concern driven by mass immigration
By Marguerite Telford on November 8, 2024
The results of this week’s election brought attention to public concern about noncitizen voting, with eight states approving constitutional amendments that explicitly prohibit noncitizens from voting in state or local elections. The large margins of passage suggest that for many Americans electoral integrity and eligibility remain critical: Idaho (65 percent approved), Iowa (76 percent), Kentucky (62 percent), Missouri (69 percent), North Carolina (78 percent), Oklahoma (81 percent), South Carolina (86 percent), and Wisconsin (75 percent).
These measures might seem redundant, but federal law only bars noncitizens from voting in federal elections. They seek to strengthen voter qualification language by making clarifications, such as changing “every citizen” to “only a citizen” may vote.
(CIS recently estimated the potential political impact of hypothetical noncitizen voting at the federal level.)
Why are such amendments deemed necessary at the state level? Much of the impetus stems from three factors: a growing number of noncitizens in the U.S. due to continued mass immigration, thousands of noncitizens discovered on voter registration rolls, and rising concerns over local jurisdictions allowing noncitizen participation in local elections. In recent years, a handful of municipalities, including some in Maryland, Vermont, and California, have allowed noncitizens to vote in local races, such as school board elections. This expansion of local voting rights has created concern that such exceptions might blur the line on voter eligibility. Even if these policies do not affect federal or state elections, the presence of noncitizens on voter rolls raises concerns about the potential for accidental or illegal voting in other races.
https://cis.org/Telford/Noncitizen-Voting-Bans-State-Level-Gain-Momentum
