Arkansas Voters Consider Amendment Restricting Voting to U.S. Citizens
Arkansas voters are deciding on Issue 1, a constitutional amendment that would explicitly restrict state and local election voting to United States citizens.
Voters in Arkansas are considering Issue 1, a proposed constitutional amendment that would restrict voting in state and local elections exclusively to United States citizens. The current state constitution allows any person who is a citizen, at least 18 years old, and a resident to vote, but the proposed change would explicitly state that only U.S. citizens meeting elector qualifications may cast ballots.
The amendment seeks to prevent local governments, including cities, towns, and counties, from permitting non-citizens to vote in any future elections. Proponents of the measure cite similar policies already implemented in Washington, D.C., California, Maryland, and Vermont as the reason for this clarification, arguing the restriction is necessary to protect election integrity.
