GGeorgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has renewed his call for the state legislature to amend the Georgia Constitution to clarify that only US citizens can vote in the state.
Raffensperger signed a petition on Thursday calling for an amendment to the constitution. The petition was launched by Americans for Citizen Voting, a national nonprofit that advocates the exclusive voting of citizens to raise awareness.
Outside of a constitutional convention, the only way to change the Georgia Constitution is for the legislature to introduce an amendment and pass it by a two-thirds majority in both houses. The change would then have to be approved by Georgian voters.
“Only American citizens are allowed to cast their votes. We cannot risk that one day special interests will allow non-citizens to have a say in our laws, taxes and agencies like in other states,” Raffensperger said during a news briefing in the state Capitol. “I’ve worked hard to make sure that foreign elements can’t use cyber terrorism to alter our elections, so I’m definitely against letting them vote affect our elections.”
State law already states that “anyone who is a citizen of the United States and is a Georgia resident for the purposes of the law is eligible to vote.” Raffensperger said introducing a new language into the state constitution would ensure the policy stays in place.
Raffensperger said Georgia has seen isolated incidents of non-citizens registering in previous elections, which his office referred to the attorney general for law enforcement. Adding clear language to the constitution would fill legal loopholes and help the state avoid future lawsuits, he said.
According to The Pew Charitable Trusts, voting by non-citizens in federal elections is illegal across the country, but some cities allow non-citizens to vote in local elections. Clarkston, a suburb of Atlanta that is home to many immigrants, has considered allowing non-citizens to vote.
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Communities in Vermont, California, Maryland and Massachusetts have passed laws that allow non-citizens to vote, Pew said. Raffensperger’s office said that Alabama, Colorado, Florida and North Dakota recently passed, by far, changes that only allow US citizens to vote in local, state and school council elections.
“Voting is a sacred civil right and it can only be reserved for citizens and citizens,” said Christopher Arps, President of the Americans for Citizens’ Voting. “No exceptions.”
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Keywords: States, News, Georgia
Original author: Nyamekye Daniel, The central square
Original location: Raffensperger continues to push for a non-citizen voting ban on the Georgia Constitution