Wisconsin Voters Approve Constitutional Change Requiring Citizenship to Vote
Wisconsin voters have overwhelmingly approved a state constitution change that will require individuals to be citizens in order to vote in elections.
The ballot measure received an impressive 75% approval rate, with over 95% of the statewide votes tallied.
As it stands, the Wisconsin constitution states that “Every United States citizen age 18 or older who is a resident of an election district” is a qualified voter. The approved ballot proposal will replace the phrase “every United States citizen” with “only a United States citizen.”
This change comes as leaders in the state have been advocating for a process to verify the voter rolls for noncitizens and remove them, thereby ensuring the integrity of elections in Wisconsin.
Challenges and Opposition
Currently, election commissions are unable to cross-reference their rolls with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to identify an estimated 90,000 individuals who are legally in the state and eligible for a driver’s license but may have registered to vote.
Despite the overwhelming support for the ballot measure, there have been voices of opposition. Various voting groups, including the League of Women Voters, have expressed concerns about the change.
According to the League of Women Voters, the shift from ‘every’ to ‘only’ represents a regression in voting rights. They argue that the language alteration could potentially undermine voting rights, turning a constitutionally protected guarantee for all citizens into a restrictive limitation.
This article is syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
