Senate Joint Resolution 2002 sets parameters who can vote in Iowa elections. The proposed constitutional amendment states only United States citizens are allowed to vote in all Iowa elections.
All 50 senators voted in support of the measure.
“This constitutional amendment ensures only United States citizens are participating in all elections conducted in Iowa,” said Sen. Roby Smith (R-Davenport). “Liberal cities across the country such as San Francisco and Chicago are allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections. Even Iowa City considered expanding voting rights to non-citizens. Iowa’s Constitution needs to be clear.”
Smith said this amendment is common sense.
Sen. Jake Chapman (R-Adel) spoke in support of the amendment.
“We have an auditor here in the state of Iowa from Johnson County who went out to a conference out in Washington D.C. and came up with this idea,” Chapman said. “This growing tend. NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures) points out 11 states allow non-residents to vote in local, municipal or special district elections.
“There’s a lot of liberal ideas that come out of D.C. I don’t know what’s in the Potomac out there, maybe he was drinking some of the water in the Potomac, but nonetheless, those are liberal ideas that we shouldn’t allow to happen here in Iowa.”
The idea of even having a conversation about allowing non-citizens to vote irked Chapman.
“That’s crazy,” he said. “That’s exactly what is going on.”
Smith noted Illinois is one state where non-citizens are legally voting. Chicago allows non-citizens to vote in school board elections. California allows non-citizens to legally vote. San Francisco allows non-citizens to vote in school board elections.
In 2018, San Francisco spent $300,000 to encourage voter registration for non-citizens.
Smith said the amendment is needed to establish clarity in who can legally participate in state and local elections in Iowa.
The bill now moves to the Iowa House. It would have to be approved again by both the Senate and the House in the next general assembly before being put to a vote of Iowans.
