Florida Voters Choose to Amend State Constitution to Say ‘Only a Citizen’ Can Vote
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In Florida, voters have made a decision on Election Day to amend their state constitution, aiming to clarify that only citizens are eligible to vote. However, this change is largely symbolic since the state already restricts voting rights to citizens. The current constitution allows every citizen of the United States, who is at least eighteen years old and a permanent resident of the state, to become a registered elector of the county. The proposed amendment, which received 79 percent support from voters, seeks to change "Every citizen" to "Only a citizen." The amendment required a minimum of 60 percent approval to pass.
Several organizations, including the Florida League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union, urged voters to vote against the amendment, arguing that it would not result in any significant modifications to the constitution. The Florida ACLU’s voter guide expressed concerns that this amendment may pave the way for further measures undermining and jeopardizing the right to vote for every citizen.
While some jurisdictions in other states allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, there are currently no major efforts in Florida to extend voting rights to noncitizens. Notably, in 2018, San Francisco became the center of the immigration debate when it began permitting noncitizens to vote in school board races.
A political action committee called Florida Citizen Voters advocated for the amendment. John and Gina Loudon, who are affiliated with President Donald Trump and actively involved in Republican politics nationwide, established this group. Citizen Voters Inc., a Florida-based nonprofit controlled by John, provided financial support to the PAC. However, the source of the funds remains undisclosed.
The editorial board of the Sun-Sentinel also opposed the amendment, arguing that it is unnecessary, redundant, contributes to an already crowded ballot, and is funded by individuals who wish to remain unidentified.
In addition to Florida, Alabama also approved a similar measure on Election Day, and voters in Colorado seem to be on the verge of doing the same.
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