By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
The Legislative Services Office heard from only five people on a proposed constitutional amendment that will appear on voters’ November ballots.
Lawmakers passed HJR 5 earlier this year to amend the state constitution and clarify that only U.S. citizens may vote in an election.
The Idaho Constitution already defines qualifications for electors. It states that “every male or female citizen of the United States, eighteen years old, who has resided in this state, and in the county where he or she offers to vote for the period of time provided by law, if registered as provided by law, is a qualified elector.”
The proposed amendment would add one sentence, saying “no person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be a qualified elector in any election held within the state of Idaho.”
Pursuant to Idaho law, the Legislative Council must accept public suggestions for and against proposed constitutional amendments and must submit those to the Secretary of State 120 days prior to the election. Idaho Reports obtained the comments through a public record request. Only five comments were submitted in total, with three in favor of the amendment and two against.
One person in favor of the amendment said, “It seems logical that only verifiable citizens should be able to vote in state and local elections. No person who is not a citizen should be restricted from voting. The only way to secure and protect our elections from outside election interference is to require proof of US and Idaho citizenship.”
The other two people who wrote in favor of the amendment were brief, stating “this is a good idea” and “I have reviewed the proposed wording and approve of it.”
The two people who were against the amendment offered longer responses. One said the change was redundant and an unnecessary cost. “A ballot initiation costs taxpayers about 200,000 to pose the question and this process is a waste of tax dollars and seems to increase a narrative that we have a problem with non-citizens voting,” the unidentified person wrote. “This is harmful to citizens of this country who may have immigrated here and are now being questioned.”
That person also said the ballot question was “Not solving a problem but playing to politics: There is a history of policies like these arising from increased immigration patterns, especially when those immigrants are not white. … Putting this question on the ballot is unnecessary and just furthers a mythical narrative that we have a problem.”
The second person who wrote in against the amendment said the U.S. Constitution and Idaho Constitution already prohibits non-citizens from voting. “I do not see a need to amend the State’s constitution changing what is already existing,” they wrote.
The Secretary of State’s Office is required to put out a voter’s pamphlet no later than Sept. 25, which will include the amendment with arguments and rebuttals from the Legislative Council.
Idaho’s general election is scheduled for Nov. 5.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.