Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to ensure that only citizens are eligible to vote in Federal elections.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This joint resolution would constitutionalize citizen-only voting for elections for President, Vice President, presidential electors, Senators, and Representatives. The amendment directs each state legislature to prescribe enforcement legislation while also allowing Congress to alter those regulations and enforce the rule for the District of Columbia. The effect is narrower than some noncitizen-voting proposals because the local text focuses on federal elections, but it would still move voter qualification administration into constitutional law.
Who Benefits and How
Citizen-only voting advocates benefit because the amendment makes citizenship a constitutional condition for voting in federal races. State election legislatures benefit from express authority to prescribe enforcement rules for the citizenship qualification. Congressional election committees benefit from backup authority to make or alter state regulations and enforce the rule for the District of Columbia. Voters favoring uniform federal-election qualifications benefit from a national constitutional rule.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Noncitizen residents are barred from qualifying to vote in the covered federal elections. State election administrators must verify and enforce citizenship eligibility in federal-election systems. District of Columbia election officials must follow congressional enforcement legislation for the citizenship rule. State legislatures must decide whether to ratify a constitutional limit on election eligibility.
Key Provisions
- Bars noncitizens from qualifying to vote in presidential and congressional elections.
- Requires state legislatures to prescribe enforcement legislation for the citizenship rule.
- Authorizes Congress to alter state regulations and enforce the rule for the District of Columbia.
- Moves a federal-election voter qualification into constitutional text if ratified.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Proposes a constitutional amendment allowing only U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections and giving state legislatures primary enforcement authority.
Key Policy Areas
Elections, Immigration, Constitutional Amendment
Primary Purpose
Proposes a constitutional amendment allowing only U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections and giving state legislatures primary enforcement authority.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Citizen-only voting advocates
- State election legislatures
- Congressional election committees
- Federal-election voters
Identified Costs
- Noncitizen residents
- State election administrators
- District election officials
- State legislatures
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Citizen-only voting advocates, State election administrators
Positive-direction: Citizen-only voting advocates
Negative-direction: State election administrators
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology