Another Referendum to Amend Wisconsin's Constitution on the November 5th Ballot

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024 -- 12:01 PM

(Bob Hague, Wisconsin Radio Network) Voters are being asked to amend the Wisconsin Constitution.

According to Bob Hague with the Wisconsin Radio Network, currently, the Wisconsin constitution reads that every US citizen, age 18 or older, can vote. If voters approve the ballot referendum, the “every” would be changed to “only.”

While some noncitizens have been allowed to vote in local elections in other states, no Wisconsin municipalities currently allow that. Republican state Senator Julian Bradley says there have been states and municipalities, including in Maryland, Washington, DC, and California and others, who have taken the word every to be not exclusionary of any non citizens, which is allowing non citizens to vote in state and local elections.

Bradley calls the referendum “a no brainer,” but Debra Cronmiller with the League of Women Voters argues this should be a local decision. The Republican authored ballot measure passed two prior sessions of the Wisconsin legislature, where Republicans control both the Senate and the Assembly.

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