The upcoming Kentucky constitutional Amendment 1 seeks to prohibit noncitizens from voting in Kentucky elections, even though this is already illegal under current law. State Senator Jason Howell, the sponsor of the bill, views it as a proactive measure to protect election integrity.
However, critics, including the ACLU of Kentucky, argue that the amendment is unnecessary and may discourage immigrant citizens from voting, potentially stirring anti-immigrant sentiments to mobilize Republican voters.
Although noncitizen voting is rare in U.S. elections, and federal law already bars it, similar measures are appearing in other states.
Detractors, such as House Democratic Caucus Chair Cherlynn Stevenson, call this a solution in search of a problem and suggest it might serve to boost turnout for another Kentucky ballot measure, Amendment 2, which concerns nonpublic school funding. Howell disagrees, stating the two issues are unrelated.
While Amendment 1 has sparked some debate, it has not attracted as much public attention or organized campaigning as Amendment 2.
Critics maintain that the focus should instead be on improving voter access and addressing real issues within Kentucky’s election system.