Here’s Why Republicans Are Focusing on Voting by Noncitizens
New York TimesJun 04
Several States Approve Amendments Banning Noncitizen Voting
Image copyright: Al Drago/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Facts
Voters in eight states Tuesday approved Republican-backed constitutional amendments explicitly prohibiting noncitizens from voting in elections.
Lawmakers in GOP-controlled legislatures in Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wisconsin put the amendments on the ballot despite the fact that it's already illegal for noncitizens to vote in those states' elections and at the federal level.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
For years, President-elect Donald Trump and the Republicans have been promoting the false narrative about noncitizens voting in an effort to rattle up their base and suppress the vote. Although there's no evidence to support their claims, clearly they've been able to convince a significant portion of the electorate that this is an important issue.
Republican narrative
Democrats, including the Biden administration, for years have been promoting amnesty for those who've entered the US illegally. It should be further explored if these migrants were offered a path to citizenship in an effort to get them to vote Democratic. If this wasn't a genuine issue, eight states wouldn't have passed constitutional amendments.
