On Nov. 4 Texas voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to explicitly state that only U.S. citizens can vote — a measure supporters say strengthens election integrity and critics call unnecessary political theater.
The proposal, known as Proposition 16, would add language to the Texas Constitution clarifying that noncitizens are barred from voting in state and local elections. State law already prohibits noncitizen voting, so the measure would not change existing eligibility requirements.
“This is about making it crystal clear that only U.S. citizens can vote in Texas elections,” said Sen. Brian Birdwell, the Republican lawmaker who authored the amendment. “It’s about protecting the sanctity of the ballot box.”
Opponents argue the amendment is redundant and could stoke anti-immigrant sentiment in a state where Latino and immigrant communities make up a large share of the population.
“This doesn’t solve any real problem,” said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas. “It’s designed to fire up a political base, not improve our democracy.”
The proposal passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature earlier this year with strong Republican support. Democrats largely opposed it, saying there was no evidence of widespread noncitizen voting.
The measure would make it harder for future legislatures or local governments to expand voting rights to noncitizens, even in limited cases such as municipal or school board elections — a policy allowed in a few cities elsewhere in the U.S.
Similar amendments have appeared on ballots in other Republican-led states this year, part of a national push to embed citizenship requirements in state constitutions amid ongoing debates about immigration and election integrity.
Texas voters will weigh in on Proposition 16, along with several other constitutional amendments, on Nov. 4.