FRANKFORT, Ky. — Voters in Kentucky will see two constitutional amendments on their ballots this General Election.
We've done extensive coverage on Amendment 2, which could change where public tax dollars are allotted for education, but what about Amendment 1?
While the ballot language is lengthy, Amendment 1 asks if you want to add this line to the Kentucky Constitution: "No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be allowed to vote in this state."
Essentially, Amendment 1 focuses on prohibiting anyone who is not a U.S. citizen from being allowed to vote in Kentucky.
Federal law already makes it a criminal offense for non-citizens to vote in presidential elections. Kentucky also requires registered voters to be U.S. citizens who have lived in the commonwealth for at least 28 days before Election Day.
Our partners at LEX 18 News spoke to state Rep. Michael Meredith, who sponsored the amendment in the Kentucky House. He said the reason for what might appear to be a redundant change is to stop non-citizens from voting in local races, like for school boards.
"Not in state elections, not in federal elections, but they're doing it at the local level — voting in local elections," Meredith said. "They're voting in school board elections."
While the amendment has received overwhelming support from the GOP, others noted that there shouldn't be fear of that happening because of the already-stated citizenship requirement to become a registered voter.
Voting yes on Amendment 1 will add the specific language. Voting no will keep the wording in the Kentucky Constitution the same.
This is exactly how Amendment 1 will appear on your ballot:
Are you in favor of amending Sections 145 and 155 of the Constitution of Kentucky to prohibit persons who are not citizens of the United States from being allowed to vote in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as stated below?
IT IS PROPOSED THAT SECTION 145 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF KENTUCKY BE AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:
Every citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years who has resided in the state one year, and in the county six months, and the precinct in which he or she offers to vote sixty days next preceding the election, shall be a voter in said precinct and not elsewhere. No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be allowed to vote in this state. The following persons also shall not have the right to vote:
1. Persons convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction of treason, or felony, or bribery in an election, or of such high misdemeanor as the General Assembly may declare shall operate as an exclusion from the right of suffrage, but persons hereby excluded may be restored to their civil rights by executive pardon.
2. Persons who, at the time of the election, are in confinement under the judgment of a court for some penal offense.
3. Idiots and insane persons.
IT IS PROPOSED THAT SECTION 155 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF KENTUCKY BE AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:
The provisions of Sections 145 to 154, inclusive, shall not apply to the election of school trustees and other common school district elections. Said elections shall be regulated by the General Assembly, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution. No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be allowed to vote in said elections.
YES OR NO
