8 US states want to prohibit non-citizens from voting; sparks criticism that it’s part of a Trump strategy
Eight US states want to prohibit non-citizens from voting, which is already against the law, sparking criticism that it’s part of a strategy by Donald Trump and his Republican supporters to dispute the outcome of the presidential election if he loses on November 5th.
The states comprise a pair that are anticipated to play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the election. The proposals on the ballot for November 5 aim to change state constitutions. Trump, the Republican Party candidate, claims that votes from people who are not citizens could impact the results of the election.
Most voters favor changes to state constitutions to clarify that only citizens can vote, a move that critics believe will not have much impact since it is already against the law for non-citizens to vote in those states.
The suggestions will appear on the voting list in November in the swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin, as well as the firmly Republican states of Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.
Advocates argue that the actions are aimed at addressing voter apprehensions caused by historic levels of unauthorized entries at the US border with Mexico under Democratic President Joe Biden, as well as the identification of a few possible non-citizens on voter registers in certain states.
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Political analysts note it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in US federal elections
Political analysts and democracy advocates point out that non-citizens are prohibited from voting in US federal elections and argue that any loss of trust in the system stems from former President Trump’s baseless claims that his defeat to Biden in the 2020 election was due to fraud.
The suggested changes are the most recent move in a series of actions that have involved at least eight Republican legal challenges against voter registration procedures and an effort by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to enact a law mandating Americans to show proof of citizenship in order to register for voting.
