Source: Editorial Board
North Carolina voters might be surprised and confused after noticing a Constitutional amendment about “citizens only voting” on their ballot this year. If you’re curious about why it’s there, keep reading.
The amendment is up for a vote after the Republican-backed House Bill 1074 was passed in the legislature and became law on June 28. That bill proposed amending the North Carolina Constitution to change the qualifications for voting to say that only a “citizen” can vote. The amendment, if passed by voters, will remove language that reads “every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized…” has the right to vote.
Our state Constitution currently says this about voting:
Every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized, 18 years of age, and possessing the qualifications set out in this Article, shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people of the State, except as herein otherwise provided.
The amendment, if passed, will change the language to say:
Only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and possessing the qualifications set out in this Article, shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people of the State, except as herein otherwise provided.
The difference may not seem to be a big deal because it only changes a few words and we all know that only citizens are allowed to vote as it is, but that’s what makes the amendment so troublesome. The bill ignores both state and federal law that already says only U.S. citizens can vote, and it completely ignores the safeguards that are already in place to ensure that only qualified Americans vote in our elections.
The real intent of the amendment becomes more clear upon further inspection. It intentionally creates division across various communities in our state, casts doubt on the security and integrity of our elections, and provokes anti-immigration hate and racism, which are already issues in our country.
The amendment is the next step in the GOP’s ongoing attacks on our democracy, our hard-working immigrants and our election system. The bill is a continuation of what Republicans have been doing since 2020 when Donald Trump lost the election and they refused to accept the results – they peddled lies about the election, filed frivolous lawsuits and riled up their supporters into such a fit of rage that thousands of them went to Washington, D.C., in an attempt to overthrow the government on Jan. 6, 2021.
Republicans in North Carolina know that their top-of-the-ballot candidates – Mark Robinson, Michele Morrow, Dan Bishop and Donald Trump – are far-right extremists who don’t represent the views of the majority of North Carolinians. Concerned that they could lose some extremely important races, they are now spreading lies about non-citizens voting even though it’s clear that only eligible North Carolinians vote. State-mandated photo IDs, verification checks and registration requirements are just a few of the ways to ensure only eligible voters cast a ballot.
“I think that one of the reasons that it’s on the ballot is to try to motivate voters who are activated by, quite frankly, misinformation that suggests that noncitizens are voting in North Carolina elections when they’re not,” Wake Forest Law professor Margaret Taylor told WRAL. “Unfortunately, it just fuels confusion and misperception and animus about immigrants at a time when that is such a contentious issue.”
The fate of the amendment is now in the hands of North Carolina’s voters. Republicans want to drag North Carolina and our country backward. Voters can ensure that doesn’t happen by voting against the amendment and voting against the NCGOP’s slate of far-right extremists.
Early voting is open now through Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. You can vote early at any location in your county. If you missed the Oct. 11 voter registration deadline, don’t fret – you can take advantage of same-day voter registration at any of your county’s early voting locations during operating hours.
Election Day is Nov. 5. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Visit the ACLU’s Voting Rights website if you have any issues or concerns while voting. You can also call the non-partisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
