Groups split over Wisconsin ballot measure preventing non-citizens from voting

(The Center Square) – Opponents of Wisconsin’s November ballot proposal are intensifying efforts to dissuade voters from approving the measure meant to prevent non-citizens from voting.

Currently, the Wisconsin constitution states that "Every United States citizen age 18 or older who is a resident of an election district" is a qualified voter; the ballot proposal would replace the phrase “every United States citizen” with “only a United States citizen.”

Executive Director of Common Cause Wisconsin Jay Heck painted the initiative as a conspiracy-driven effort.

“Republicans, under the control and manipulation of Donald Trump, are hoping to frighten more people to the polls by raising the possibility of undocumented immigrants illegally voting – even though they can’t and don’t,” Heck said in a statement.

Though Congress passed legislation in 1996 that prohibited noncitizens from voting in federal elections, it did not refer to elections on the state or local level, leaving states to decide for themselves.

Nick Ramos, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, called the ballot proposal “disrespectful and unnecessary.”

But supporters of the proposal reference recent instances of other states allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections, even when the language of their election laws seems to not permit it.

“To those who do not believe this is an issue, I would point to the Maryland State Constitution which uses similar language to describe who can vote, 'every citizen of the United States.' That language did not stop College Park and 10 other municipalities in Maryland from allowing illegal immigrants to vote in local elections,” state Sen. Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin, said.

Seven other states have similar ballot proposals for voters to decide on this November.

As of 2018, North Dakota, Ohio, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, and Alabama have all added language about citizenship requirements for voting to their constitutions.