• Home
  • Opinion
  • Quizzes
  • Redistricting
  • Sections
  • About Us
  • Voting
  • Events
  • Civic Ed
  • Campaign Finance
  • Directory
  • Election Dissection
  • Fact Check
  • Glossary
  • Independent Voter News
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Subscriptions
  • Log in
Leveraging Our Differences
  • news & opinion
    • Big Picture
      • Civic Ed
      • Ethics
      • Leadership
      • Leveraging big ideas
      • Media
    • Business & Democracy
      • Corporate Responsibility
      • Impact Investment
      • Innovation & Incubation
      • Small Businesses
      • Stakeholder Capitalism
    • Elections
      • Campaign Finance
      • Independent Voter News
      • Redistricting
      • Voting
    • Government
      • Balance of Power
      • Budgeting
      • Congress
      • Judicial
      • Local
      • State
      • White House
    • Justice
      • Accountability
      • Anti-corruption
      • Budget equity
    • Columns
      • Beyond Right and Left
      • Civic Soul
      • Congress at a Crossroads
      • Cross-Partisan Visions
      • Democracy Pie
      • Our Freedom
  • Pop Culture
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
  • events
  • About
      • Mission
      • Advisory Board
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
Sign Up
  1. Home>
  2. Voting>
  3. voting>

Conservatives want Florida to underscore citizenship requirement for voting

Our Staff
February 26, 2019

A conservative group is starting an effort to change Florida's constitution to underscore that "only a citizen" who is qualified and registered may vote.

The state's charter now says voting is the right of "every citizen" who's qualified and registered, so it's unclear if the altered wording would have any legal consequence. But putting the change on the 2020 statewide ballot would assure more prominence during the presidential campaign for the polarizing discussions about citizenship and immigration – potentially energizing the electorate to the benefit of Republicans.


"Efforts are underway across the country in liberal cities to allow non-citizens to legally vote. San Francisco, Chicago, several cities in Vermont and Maryland already allow non-citizens to legally vote in some or all local elections. Boston and New York City council leaders are pushing to allow non-citizen voting in their cities," John Loudon, chairman of the Florida Citizen Voters, told the web site FlaPol.

The group has already spent $263,000 on a service to gather petition signatures and reports another $828,00 in in-kind signature-gathering contributions.

Related Articles Around the Web
  • Initiative would change Florida constitution to say 'only a citizen' can ... ›
  • Florida Citizen Requirement for Voting Initiative (2020) - Ballotpedia ›
voting

Want to write
for The Fulcrum?

If you have something to say about ways to protect or repair our American democracy, we want to hear from you.

Submit
Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
Follow
Contributors

Reform in 2023: Leadership worth celebrating

Layla Zaidane

Two technology balancing acts

Dave Anderson

Reform in 2023: It’s time for the civil rights community to embrace independent voters

Jeremy Gruber

Congress’ fix to presidential votes lights the way for broader election reform

Kevin Johnson

Democrats and Republicans want the status quo, but we need to move Forward

Christine Todd Whitman

Reform in 2023: Building a beacon of hope in Boston

Henry Santana
Jerren Chang
latest News

Your Take: Securing top secret documents

Our Staff
6h

Like Citizens United, Moore v. Harper could haunt American democracy

David O'Brien
6h

Time for new presidential candidates in 2024

Steve Corbin
19 January

Good companies & bad places: Making sense of national association

C.Anne Long
Deniz Gungen
19 January

Video: Chaos or calm: Building confidence in Pennsylvania elections

Our Staff
19 January

Here comes Mr. Jordan

Lawrence Goldstone
18 January
Videos

Video: Veterans for Political Innovation - Who we are

Our Staff

Video: Want to fight polarization? Take a vacation!

Our Staff

Video: Kevin McCarthy is Speaker, but he's got a tough job ahead

Our Staff

Video: #ListenFirst Friday End of Year

Our Staff

Video: Minnesota Gov. Walz asks fellow Democrats to ‘Think Big’ when it comes to fixing voting issues

Our Staff

Video: What’s up with Elon Musk?

Our Staff
Podcasts

Video: Chaos or calm: Building confidence in Pennsylvania elections

Our Staff
19 January

Podcast: Pushing back against polarization

Our Staff
18 January

Podcast: Nationalism, race, and American party politics

Our Staff
17 January

Podcast: Turmoil among House Republicans: Is the political system to blame?

Our Staff
16 January
Recommended
Your Take: Securing top secret documents

Your Take: Securing top secret documents

Your Take
Like Citizens United, Moore v. Harper could haunt American democracy

Like Citizens United, Moore v. Harper could haunt American democracy

Justice
Video: Veterans for Political Innovation - Who we are

Video: Veterans for Political Innovation - Who we are

Time for new presidential candidates in 2024

Time for new presidential candidates in 2024

Elections
Good companies & bad places: Making sense of national association

Good companies & bad places: Making sense of national association

Business & Democracy
Video: Chaos or calm: Building confidence in Pennsylvania elections

Video: Chaos or calm: Building confidence in Pennsylvania elections

State