MORRISVILLE, N.C. (09.18.24) – Democracy North Carolina calls on voters to reject the proposed “Citizens-Only” constitutional amendment in this year’s general election. We see this ballot measure for what it is: an attempt by certain politicians to spread lies about immigrants and voting so they can create doubt about elections that don’t go their way.
The proposed amendment would distort our state constitution and unnecessarily rewrite a provision that has served North Carolina for more than a century. Our current state constitution already ensures the freedom to vote for “every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized.” This attempt to change it reveals that too many of our elected leaders would rather divide than serve their constituents.
North Carolina Asian Americans Together, Democracy North Carolina, El Pueblo, Carolina Migrant Network Inc., Forward Justice Action Network, N.C. For the People Action, NC Justice Center, NC Counts Coalition, Common Cause North Carolina,The Association of Mexicans in North Carolina, and North Carolinians across races, places, and backgrounds stand united in opposition to this amendment.
“This is an insidious change to the constitution that sets a dangerous precedent for setting up barriers for eligible North Carolinians to have a say in our future,” said Chavi Khanna Koneru, Co-founder and Executive Director of NCAAT. ”Our organizations’ top priorities are to care for our neighbors and to ensure that every eligible person can cast their ballot.”
This amendment is a divisive tactic used by election deniers and certain politicians to spread lies about voting and to promote hatred towards immigrant communities when it is clear that only eligible Americans vote in our state and our country. The North Carolina State Board of Elections have countless safeguards in place – from registration requirements to state-mandated IDs to verification checks – to ensure that our electoral system is secure and accessible. By focusing on non-existent problems, the amendment distracts from real issues impacting North Carolinians and harms new Americans who have the right to vote but may not out of fear of prosecution.
“We believe that voters should pick our leaders, our leaders should not create obstacles for their voters or sow division among their constituents,” said Cheryl Carter, Co-Executive Director of Democracy North Carolina. “This amendment is part of a larger plot to suppress votes. The politicians pushing this change are scapegoating our immigrant community members for baseless election integrity issues, with the hopes that we would silently allow them to strip away our freedoms.”
This amendment is part of a calculated scheme to block the votes of newcomers who have gone through the naturalization process and taken the oath to become citizens. In addition, the North Carolina State Board of Elections is facing frivolous lawsuits that aim to remove voters from the rolls without proper verification, disproportionately affecting naturalized citizens as part of a large-scale voter suppression effort. With the election less than 60 days away, a widespread purge of voter rolls would put fully eligible Americans at risk of being denied the right to cast their ballot in this election. Unnecessary barriers, such as these, would prevent a fair and free election.
We are joining together to vote ‘No’ to this constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024 so that all Americans, naturalized and U.S. born, know that they can freely cast their ballots to ensure that ‘we the people’ determine who governs in our name.
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Founded in 2016, North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT) is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on bringing together the Asian American community in North Carolina through civic engagement and political participation. For more information, visit www.ncaatogether.org.
Democracy North Carolina is a statewide nonpartisan organization that uses research, organizing, and advocacy to strengthen democratic structures, build power among disenfranchised communities, and inspire confidence in a transformed political process that works for all. Learn more at democracync.org.