Voters in North Carolina and South Carolina approved constitutional amendments that would restrict voting to U.S. citizens in all elections.
Under federal law, only U.S. citizens can legally vote in federal elections. Cities in several states, including California and Maryland, have allowed all residents to vote in local elections, including noncitizens.
With about three-quarters of precincts reporting, North Carolina voters were 78% in favor of the amendment, and the Associated Press projected it would pass. In South Carolina, about 86% of people voted in favor of the amendments.
Opponents of the constitutional amendments said they’re unnecessary, and fear they could be a sign of laying the groundwork to restrict citizenship.
"This referendum does nothing but create a false narrative and question the integrity of our election system," Carolina Migrant Network's Stefania Arteaga said. "It is certainly playing on this national rhetoric that is intentional about casting doubt on our neighbors and our governmental systems."
Wendy Mateo-Pascual, coordinator of the Latino Civic Engagement Committee, doesn’t feel the amendment is needed.
“I’m concerned with this — that people that are naturalized think that they cannot vote and they don’t go, but also that in the future, other changes can happen and say that only people born in the United States are citizens,” Mateo-Pascual said.
The wording in the North Carolina Constitution would be changed to read, “Only a citizen of the United States" can vote. Currently, the Constitution states that “every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized” can vote.
Activists say they want to ensure municipalities and states don't allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.
In South Carolina, the referendum question reads: "Must Section 4, Article II of the Constitution of this State, relating to voter qualifications, be amended so as to provide that only a citizen of the United States and of this State of the age of eighteen and upwards who is properly registered is entitled to vote as provided by law?"
Dr. Andy Jackson, of the John Locke Foundation, a conservative think tank, acknowledges the number of noncitizens voting is low. But he said it’s still important to tighten language in the constitution to avoid discrepancies in the future.
“A judge leading up to the North Carolina Supreme Court can decide no, the North Carolina Constitution doesn’t really speak to whether or not noncitizens can vote,” Jackson said.
Jackson says the goal of the amendment is to protect the law from being changed by judicial decisions rather than target noncitizens, although supporters do not want noncitizens voting.
