The North Carolina Legislative Building in downtown Raleigh (Photo: Clayton Henkel)
Republicans in the state House are moving to put a question on the November ballot that would write a prohibition on non-citizen voting into the state constitution, even though non-citizen voting is already illegal.
Asking voters to add another prohibition to non-citizen voting to the constitution could help boost turnout from voters who have illegal voting as a top concern and help Republican candidates highlight southern border crossings.
Republicans around the country are using non-citizen voting as part of their 2024 election strategy, the Associated Press reported last month, even though it’s something that rarely happens. Other states are looking to amend their constitutions to clarify non-citizens cannot vote, Stateline reported last month.
North Carolina’s constitution already says who is eligible to vote in the state — people who are at least 18 years old who were born in the United States or are naturalized citizens. It’s illegal for non-citizens to register to vote in North Carolina, and it is illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections.
Rep. Destin Hall, one of the constitutional amendment sponsors, told the House Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform Committee that the amendment would buttress the existing constitutional provision and remove any ambiguity. The committee’s Republican majority endorsed the bill.
“Most people in this country believe only citizens should vote,” said Hall, a Lenoir Republican. “It’s getting in front of a tide of illegal immigration in this country and making sure we get in front of advocacy for non-citizen voting.”
A few cities and towns around the country allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, but turnout of non-citizens is low, NPR reported.
Non-citizens caught voting face prosecution. In 2020, 19 non-citizens from countries around the world were charged with voting illegally in North Carolina.
Democrats on the House Election Laws committee argued that the proposed constitutional amendment is unnecessary.
“We have pretty clear state law right now and a pretty clear constitutional provision that non- citizens can’t vote,” said Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Guilford County Democrat. “I don’t like the signal that it’s sending. I know this is an effort going on nationally. I’m very concerned about the signal this is sending to our new citizens in North Carolina.”
Rep. Allison Dahle, a Wake County Democrat, said the proposal is based on unfounded fears.
“I think we’re getting into a real sticky place,” she said.
Andy Jackson of the John Locke Foundation supported the amendment. Temporary legislative majorities or temporary judicial majorities could brush aside existing protections, Jackson said.
Ann Webb of Common Cause NC called the amendment an unnecessary waste of taxpayer money.
“This is an attempt to spread lies, to cast doubt on our elections, and divide us,” she said.
Support of three-fifths of the members of both the House and Senate are needed to get a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. The Republican supermajorities in both chambers mean the GOP has enough votes to put a question on the ballot without agreement from any Democrat. The governor cannot veto such legislation.
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