A Montana legislator has become the first Republican to vote against a citizen-only voting amendment in a floor vote.
Rep. Sherry Essmann (R-Boseman) cast her vote April 18 against Senate Bill 185. The House vote was 58-40 in favor of the measure, but the bill needed support of two-thirds of all legislators. It needed 67 votes in House to be put before voters in the 2026 general election.
Essmann did not return messages seeking comment on her vote.
“Citizen-only voting is a non-partisan issue,” said Jack Tomczak, vice president of Americans For Citizen Voting. “We are disappointed that there were so few Democrats who voted for it and completely flabbergasted that a Republican voted no. That has never happened before in any state.
“We will be sure to let Representative Essman’s constituents know where she stands on citizen-only voting.”
While the issue generally has bipartisan support among voters, it has nearly unanimous support among Republican lawmakers.
In Texas, for example, a recent poll shows 99 percent of GOP voters support a citizen-only voting amendment. And a 2023 Montana poll showed 85 percent of Republican voters support the idea.
Essman’s campaign website touts her conservative history.
“I am proud to be the only Montana legislator in 2023 to earn a 100 percent rating for Conservative Excellence from the American Conservative Union,” it says. “The Montana Chamber of Commerce awarded me the Titans of Business Award for my conservative votes in the 2023 session. …
“I intend to be a strong conservative voice for my constituents and all the citizens of Montana. I will fight for fair and meaningful property tax reform, support for our public safety workers, growth in educational programs that train our students and our existing labor force for effective and inclusive career and job training, protection for school choice for all parents and students, and defense of our religious and democratic freedoms.”
But Essmann reportedly now simply is against amending the state constitution at all.
In recent years, Americans for Citizen Voting has worked to have similar measures adopted in states. Last November, eight states (Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin) passed laws to keep non-citizens from voting.
Currently, 20 state have laws to make sure only American citizens can vote in that state, and several other states are actively considering such legislation.