Aditi Debnath for "Here& Now". >> Those who've already voted
early have seen yet another constitutional amendment on
their ballot. The fifth, this year. If you haven't yet voted,
what you'll see is a yes or no question that deals with
citizenship and voting rights "Here& Now". Reporter Nathan
Denzin explains the ballot question.
constitution states that every U.S. Citizen 18 or older can
vote in an election, but an amendment on November's ballot
seeks to change that language from every U.S. Citizen to only
a U.S. Citizen. Republican backers say the change is needed
because cities in California, New York and Vermont have
allowed non-U.S. Citizens to vote in local elections like
school board races. >> Remember that perception can,
in and of itself, call into question the integrity of
elections. We don't want that. >> Similar amendments are being
voted on in seven other states, including Iowa. While Wisconsin
law doesn't explicitly bar noncitizens from voting in local
elections, no local government in the state has ever allowed
it. Federal law already makes it illegal for non-citizens to vote
for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and President. When voters
register, they must attest to their citizenship under penalty
of perjury and possible deportation. But Wisconsin law
does not provide any process that systematically verifies
citizenship. is easy to vote, but hard to
cheat. say it's a precursor to verify
citizenship in future elections. That practice has been declared
unconstitutional in other state, as it could disqualify the
elderly or legal immigrants who lack a birth certificate. They
also fear that the referendum will be used to establish the
trope that migrants are voting in large numbers, despite the
fact that it rarely happens. The Wisconsin Elections Commission
non-citizens who have been referred for prosecution for
voting illegally since 2019, mostly for misunderstanding