Eight States Push Ballot Measures on Noncitizen Voting Despite Existing Laws

Voters in eight states, primarily Republican strongholds, are considering ballot measures this year aimed at explicitly requiring U.S. citizenship to vote. This comes despite the fact that it is already illegal for noncitizens to participate in federal elections. The states involved—Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin—are responding to a heightened focus on voter integrity, fueled by former President Donald Trump and his allies, who have amplified concerns about voter fraud.

The House of Representatives recently passed legislation aligned with these measures, further intensifying the conversation around noncitizen voting. However, a CNN fact-check has shown that the instances of noncitizens voting illegally are exceedingly rare. For example, a recent case in Michigan involved charges against a Chinese citizen for allegedly casting an ineligible ballot in the 2024 election.

Here’s a closer look at the proposed ballot measures across the states:

Idaho

In Idaho, the state constitution currently states that “every male or female citizen of the United States” who meets age and residency requirements can vote. A new ballot measure seeks to amend this language to explicitly prohibit noncitizens from voting in any election within the state. While some municipalities elsewhere permit noncitizen voting in specific local elections, Idaho does not.

Iowa

Iowa’s ballot measure addresses noncitizen voting as part of a larger amendment aimed at updating the state’s voting age in line with federal standards. The Iowa constitution currently specifies a voting age of 21, which contradicts the 26th Amendment that sets the national voting age at 18. The proposed amendment would revise the language to state that “only a citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years” can vote, thus tightening the requirement to “only a citizen” rather than “every citizen.”

Kentucky

Kentucky’s proposed ballot measure would amend the state constitution to clarify that “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be allowed to vote.” This amendment would reinforce an existing requirement already found in the Kentucky Constitution, which lists citizenship among the criteria for voting.

Missouri

Missouri’s Amendment 7 aims to amend the state constitution to assert that “only citizens of the United States” can vote in elections. Currently, the Missouri constitution states that “All citizens of the United States” over the age of 18 and residing in the state are entitled to vote. The proposed amendment would additionally ban ranked-choice voting, a method allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference.

North Carolina

In North Carolina, a GOP-backed ballot amendment seeks to revise the section of the state constitution that outlines voting eligibility. The current wording allows “every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized” to vote, as long as they meet age and residency requirements. The new measure would change this to state that “only a citizen of the United States” may vote.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma’s proposed measure suggests changing the state constitution to indicate that “only” citizens who are residents of the state and over 18 are “qualified” to vote. This measure gained traction after being advanced by the Republican-dominated Legislature.

South Carolina

The South Carolina ballot measure aims to modify the state constitution to stipulate that “only a citizen of the United States and of this State” who is at least 18 years old and “properly registered” can vote. The current constitution uses more inclusive language, stating that “every citizen” can vote if other conditions are met. This change reflects the GOP-led Legislature’s push to tighten voting regulations.

Wisconsin

Finally, Wisconsin’s GOP-controlled legislature has placed a measure on the November ballot that seeks to amend the state constitution regarding noncitizen voting. The current text states that “every United States citizen” who is over 18 and a resident can vote, while the proposed amendment would change this to say that “only” citizens can vote, reinforcing the citizenship requirement.

These measures reflect a broader movement within certain states to address concerns over election integrity, despite existing federal laws prohibiting noncitizen voting. As voters head to the polls, the outcomes of these ballot measures may have significant implications for the future of voting rights and regulations in these states.

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