Democrats question need for West Virginia Amendment 1

What Amendment 1 would do

West Virginia voters will decide Nov. 3 whether the state Constitution should explicitly limit voting in state elections to U.S. citizens who are citizens of West Virginia.

Amendment 1, formally called the Citizenship Requirement to Vote in West Virginia Elections Amendment, would change Article IV, Section 1 of the state Constitution. Its language says only U.S. citizens who are citizens of the state would be entitled to vote in elections held in the counties where they live.

The amendment would retain existing constitutional limits involving age, residency and certain criminal convictions. It reached the ballot after the Legislature approved Senate Joint Resolution 9 in March. The House passed the resolution 97-0, and the Senate approved it 33-0 with one senator absent.

Why two Democrats question it

Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, said the proposal would not change voter eligibility because citizenship is already required under state and federal law. He characterized the measure as a political issue being placed before voters ahead of the general election and encouraged people to read it before casting their ballots.

Del. John Williams, D-Monongalia, also said the amendment would not change who may legally vote. He noted that nonresidents cannot vote in West Virginia elections and that lawful permanent residents, including green-card holders, are ineligible because they are not U.S. citizens.

Williams characterized the measure as an attempt to focus voters’ attention on an issue expected to generate interest. Those views about the Legislature’s motivation are the delegates’ interpretations; the amendment itself establishes a constitutional citizenship rule without stating a political purpose.