Peach Tree Times

HR 780, a resolution seeking to amend the Georgia Constitution to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections, is set for a full vote in the Georgia House. To appear on November's ballot, the resolution requires the support of at least two-thirds of both houses of the Georgia legislature. Polling data indicates that this measure enjoys the backing of 80 percent of Georgians.

"With chaos at the border and Georgians grieving, I'm glad the Georgia Legislature is bringing House Resolution 780 to a vote," said Paul Jacob, President. "Some places are granting the vote to non-citizens, including those in our country illegally, but American citizenship is precious and as HR 780 will make clear: Only U.S. citizens can vote in Georgia elections."

The Georgia General Assembly reveals that HR780 was sponsored by state Reps. Jesse Petrea, Steven Sainz, Trey Kelly, among others, and introduced in the Georgia State House. The resolution proposes an amendment to the State Constitution to stipulate that only U.S. citizens have voting rights in Georgia elections. A companion resolution, SR 454, was simultaneously introduced in the state Senate.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has publicly urged the Georgia legislature to pass this resolution. In a press release from his office, Raffensperger stated: "With open borders, citizenship verification for voter registration is more important than ever. Multiple organizations with ties to Democrats are currently suing to end critical citizenship verification in our registration process, potentially exposing our elections to foreign interference and diluting the power of legally registered voters. I’m calling on the General Assembly to take immediate action and pass a constitutional amendment ensuring that none of these groups can leverage the courts to add noncitizens to our voter rolls."

A 2022 poll conducted by Remington Research Group found that 80 percent of likely Georgia voters believe that only U.S. citizens should have voting rights in Georgia elections. Furthermore, an equal percentage expressed their support for an amendment to the Georgia State Constitution establishing that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections.

According to Americans for Citizen Voting (ACV), federal law mandates U.S. citizenship for voting in federal elections. However, unless a state's constitution explicitly prohibits non-citizens from voting, it could be possible for non-citizens to legally vote in state and local elections. Currently, only six states - Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, and North Dakota - have constitutions that prohibit non-citizen voting. In San Francisco and 11 Maryland cities, non-citizens currently participate in local elections. Legislation allowing non-citizens to vote has been introduced in several states as well as major cities such as Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.

Paul Jacob serves as the President of ACV. This organization advocates for states to amend their constitutions to specify that only citizens can vote.