Voters could decided on multiple constitutional amendments in November under Senate Republican bill
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Republican lawmakers advanced a bill on Thursday that would put three constitutional amendments, including one regarding non-citizen voting, on the November election ballot.
It’s already illegal for noncitizens to register to vote in North Carolina or vote in federal elections, but Republicans say the amendment would clarify who is allowed to vote in state elections.
“An opportunity before you today is to empower the people of North Carolina to amend their own constitution, to declare that citizens and only citizens of this state are allowed to vote in our elections,” said Republican Senator Brad Overcash of Gaston County.
Overcash cited examples from other states where individual cities have allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections as the reason for the voting amendment. Some cities and towns across the country allow noncitizens to vote, but turnout is generally low, according to NPR.
Currently, North Carolina law bars municipalities from allowing noncitizens to participate in local elections without prior approval from the General Assembly.
“It’s already a felony in North Carolina, to even encourage a noncitizen to register to vote,” said Ann Webb of Common Cause NC. “Not only that, if a locality —which there are none in North Carolina— that are seeking to have noncitizens vote, if they did want to do that, they would need approval of the General Assembly. That’s different in other states that have different policies.”
Webb said the proposal is intended to stir up “conspiracy theories” about “rampant” noncitizen voting.
Democrats view the move as a ploy by Republicans to boost conservative turnout in the upcoming general election, at a time when immigration is a top issue for Republican voters.
Republicans also unveiled two additional proposals in Thursday morning’s committee meeting: one would require voters who choose mail-in ballots to show photo ID, a requirement already in state law, and another would cap the state income tax at 5% rather than the current 7%. Individual and corporate income tax rates are both below 5% in the state.
The photo ID requirement and income tax cap amendments, approved by voters in November 2018, are currently under court challenge by the state NAACP. But if voters approve the amendments in November, it could make the litigation moot.
None of the proposed amendments would have practical impact but adding them to the constitution could make it more difficult for courts or a future legislature to reverse them.
Outside of the proposed referendums, the Senate is also considering the following election laws:
A proposal to require disclosure of the use of generative AI for political advertisements in print media, on radio, or on television
A proposal to require county boards of elections to use signature verification software to check the signatures of voters on executed absentee ballots before those ballots are accepted by the county board, beginning July 1, 2025.
A proposal to require county boards of elections to challenge any ballot cast during early voting, or an absentee ballot if records indicate that the voter was not eligible to cast a ballot on election day due to death or felony conviction.
The post Voters could decided on multiple constitutional amendments in November under Senate Republican bill appeared first on NC Newsline.
