At least two more states will have amendments that would ensure citizen-only voting on ballots next year, and more are likely.
Lawmakers in Kansas and South Dakota already have passed resolutions to give voters the chance to decide this issue during the 2026 election. Legislators in five other states also have similar measures on the table.
The Arkansas House of Representatives passed a resolution April 7, and it is expected to breeze through the state Senate there as well. And in four other states – Mississippi, Montana, Texas and West Virginia – similar measures have passed one chamber and await decisions in the other. Although the one in West Virginia is down to the final days of the regular legislative session as it sits in the House Judiciary Committee.
Jacob
| File photo
Americans for Citizen Voting also is working in five other states on voter initiatives or lobbying efforts. Those states are Georgia, Indiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Tennessee.
“With the eight states that passed citizen-only voting amendments last year, that means 14 states have passed such measures in the last three cycles,” said Paul Jacob, chairman of Americans for Citizen Voting. “And that’s 20 total. The idea is catching fire. People are starting to realize state constitutions aren’t as clear as they should be.
“We also are seeing an effort in Alaska. If it doesn’t make it through the Legislature there, it might be put on the ballot by initiative. And in Maine, it might be on the ballot in 2026 as an initiative. We already have the issue of voter ID on the ballot there.”
Jacob said the two ideas go hand-in-hand.
“Once you have the policy set clearly, you have to find out if they potential voters are citizens or not,” he said. “And secondly, they have to prove they are who they say they are. It isn’t that difficult, and it just makes sense.”
Jacob said ACV also worked to secure victory on voter ID initiatives in Wisconsin and North Carolina, and he said Nevada and California plans are moving along as well.
“Last year’s eight states that passed citizen-only voting amendments really have exploded this year,” he said. “We could see 10 states do it this cycle. And it’s all spawning other efforts for voter ID and proof of citizenship. Michigan, for example, has done all three.”
Jacob said times have changed for his group and its push to clarify who can vote.
“Four years ago, six years ago, we were having to explain that we are serious and that this is a potential problem,” he said. “San Francisco and a few other cities have done it. Vermont allows it. New York City, Washington D.C. and Oakland have passed it.
“This is a vulnerability in our system, and we’re moving quickly to do something about it.”
He said the idea has bipartisan support, too.
“Democrats love this, too,” Jacob said. “It is an issue that just makes sense. And it’s needed. But there are states like Georgia where we have pushed, but Democrats have blocked it. But many hard-working regular-citizen Democrats also generally side with this issue.”
Citizen-only voting amendments passed last year in Missouri, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin. Republicans control the legislatures in those states.
The amendments make it explicitly illegal for noncitizens to vote in state and local elections. It already is illegal in federal elections.
“In every state, unless they have this amendment, any future legislature could allow noncitizens to vote, and the people would never get a chance to say yes or no,” Jacob said. “What these amendments do is take this issue and put it in the hands of the voters.
“There is much more of a focus on this issue than there was years ago,” Jacob said. “We believe in rights, but you have to join the American family to vote. That’s always this issue is important to naturalized citizens. They have worked hard to earn the right to legally vote, and they want that right to be protected.
“In essence, it all comes down to this: If you want to vote, become a citizen.”