ElectionFriday, October 30
Kansas voters will decide whether the constitution says only U.S. citizens can vote
The Daily Wichita team
If you're voting in the November midterm election, there's a constitutional amendment on your ballot about who qualifies as a voter. KSN reports it would change Article 5, Section 1, and the ballot's explanatory statement says it would “clarify that only a person who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to vote in this state.”
A yes vote rewrites the voter-eligibility wording; a no vote keeps it
| Your vote | What happens |
|---|---|
| Yes | Article 5 says only citizens qualify as voters |
| No | Today's wording stays |
Source: KSN.com
Supporters say it would clarify the rules and keep noncitizens from voting. KMUW reports Rep. Pat Proctor, who chairs the House Elections Committee, says it would cover local elections too. Opponents, including the ACLU of Kansas, say it's already law that only citizens vote. KSN adds they fear it could disenfranchise voters if proof of citizenship becomes required.
KU law professor Stephen McAllister says the requirement is already “implicit and inherent in the system.” Washburn Law's Shawn Leisinger told WIBW the measure “has slipped to the side a little bit” with so many other races on the ballot.
160-plusyears the citizens-only rule has been understood, a KU law professor says
Stephen McAllister says the amendment makes that requirement explicit in Article 5.
Source: KSN.com
- Secretary of state's office is officially neutral
- Kansas has no local jurisdictions allowing noncitizen voting
- Leisinger says noncitizen voting is “very minimal” in Kansas, though some cases are documented