Wisconsin voters have overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the state constitution that requires voters to be U.S. citizens. With over 95% of ballots counted, the measure garnered 75% approval statewide.
The Wisconsin constitution currently specifies that “Every United States citizen age 18 or older who is a resident of an election district” is a qualified voter. The new amendment will replace the wording “every United States citizen” with “only a United States citizen,” reinforcing the requirement that only citizens can vote in state elections.
The measure follows calls from state leaders for additional safeguards to ensure only citizens are included on voter rolls. Supporters of the amendment argue that this change will enhance election integrity by creating a path for state election commissions to verify voter rolls and remove noncitizens.
Under existing rules, election commissions cannot access data from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to cross-check voter rolls, which include an estimated 90,000 noncitizens legally residing in the state who are eligible for driver’s licenses. Supporters say the amendment could lead to future measures aimed at more rigorous voter roll verification.
