Citizen Only Right To Vote
Bottom Line Up Front: By guaranteeing Citizen Only Right to Vote, we honor the social compact: the people – meaning the citizens – consent to be governed by those they elect. Those who are not citizens haven’t made that compact yet (though they may in future upon naturalization). It’s reasonable and just to keep that delineation. Under our watch, Colorado elections will adhere to that principle strictly, ensuring our government remains of the citizens, by the citizens, for the citizens.
a. Protecting the Franchise: We affirm that the right to vote in American elections is exclusive to citizens. Voting is the fundamental act of self-government, and it must be wielded only by those who are fully part of our national political community – i.e., U.S. citizens (whether native-born or naturalized). This principle was deemed so important that Colorado voters enshrined it in our state constitution in 2020 (Amendment 76 changed “every citizen” to “only a citizen” may vote). We will vigorously uphold this. Allowing non-citizens to vote dilutes citizens’ voices and can create incentives for illegal immigration as a means to political influence. Citizenship is not just a status; it’s a commitment to our country – those who bear that title have either been born into or sworn loyalty to the United States and Colorado. Thus, they alone should decide our leaders and laws.
b. Current Safeguards and Challenges: Colorado requires voter registration and proof of eligibility (ID requirements are somewhat lenient but exist). We have automatic voter registration via DMV for those declaring citizenship. A risk arises with policies like giving driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants – the state must ensure those individuals aren’t inadvertently added to voter rolls. Also, with all-mail voting, verifying each voter’s identity and eligibility is paramount. There have been debates about some municipalities nationally allowing non-citizen voting in local elections (school boards, etc.) – we will ensure no Colorado locality tries that, as it’s now unconstitutional here. The “citizen only” amendment gives us grounds to block any such attempts.
c. Our Action Plan:
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1. Enforce Voter ID and Verification: Colorado currently requires some form of ID to register and to vote (first-time mail voters include a copy of ID). We support strengthening ID requirements to ensure only citizens vote. This can be done without disenfranchising – Colorado offers free state IDs and we can do outreach to help anyone missing ID to get one. An ID ensures you are who you say and that you’re a citizen (since only citizens can get a standard Colorado driver’s license or state ID; the special license for undocumented clearly states not valid for voting). We will coordinate DMV and election officials so that noncitizen IDs (which are differently colored/marked) are not accepted for voting. If needed, we’ll push legislation to explicitly bar those documents as voter ID, though clerks likely already do. Additionally, we’ll utilize citizenship verification through SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) for voter registrants that DMV cannot confirm. Federal law allows state election officials to verify citizenship status for voter rolls; we’ll make sure that tool is used as a backstop.
2. Clean Voter Rolls: We will direct the Secretary of State to perform regular audits of the voter rolls to remove ineligible voters – including non-citizens, deceased persons, those who moved out of state, etc. Colorado participates in the ERIC system (Electronic Registration Information Center) which helps find duplicate registrations across states. We will ensure ERIC or alternative methods are used robustly to maintain accurate rolls. If we find non-citizens erroneously registered (it’s happened when they interacted with DMV and got auto-registered due to glitches), we will remove them and, if appropriate, notify them or authorities depending on circumstance (some may have done so unknowingly). The key is a clean list so that no one can cast a ballot under a non-citizen’s name.
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3. Penalties for Illegal Voting: Voting by a non-citizen is already a crime. We will enforce those laws. If someone knowingly registers or votes as a non-citizen, they should face consequences – not only to punish wrongdoing but to deter others and maintain integrity. We will task investigators (maybe within the Attorney General’s office or SOS) to follow up on any evidence of ballots cast by non-citizens (or other ineligibles). Even if rare, each instance undermines confidence and one illegal vote cancels out a legitimate one. By prosecuting a few cases, we send a message this is taken seriously. Conversely, we’ll ensure citizens are never turned away – that’s why robust verification on the front end is better than purges on the back end that might snag legit voters.
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4. No Voting for 17-Year-Olds in General Elections: Colorado let 17-year-olds vote in primaries if they’d be 18 by the general. That’s fine (they are effectively future citizens for that election). But under 18 general election voting is not allowed, and we maintain that. The citizen-only (and age 18) requirement is clear. We won’t lower the voting age. Some activists push to let 16-year-olds vote in local issues; we oppose that. 16year-olds are not legal adults in most regards and are not full participants in civic duties (jury, military) and often still civics-learning; keep voting at 18.
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5. Post-Citizenship Registration Drive: To encourage only citizens voting but all citizens voting, we will facilitate newly naturalized citizens getting registered promptly. Perhaps have deputy registrars at citizenship ceremonies. These new Americans are enthusiastic voters usually – let’s channel that properly. That also offsets any narrative that we’re trying to reduce voters; no, we want all eligible to vote, and all ineligible not to. That’s fair.
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6. Resisting Federal Overreach: If any federal law or policy tries to force states to allow non-citizen voting (unlikely, more likely opposite), we’d resist on sovereignty grounds. If any int’l body criticized us for citizen only voting, we’d shrug – nearly every country restricts voting to citizens. That’s normal. We’d also ensure on local ballot measures, etc., that only citizens partake – e.g., sometimes HOAs or special districts talk about letting non-citizen property owners vote on tax questions; we’d examine legality, likely say no, citizens only as state law suggests.
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7. Educating Public: We will continue public education that if you are not a citizen, do not attempt to register or vote. This actually protects non-citizens too – if they mistakenly vote, it can ruin a future citizenship application (seen in cases where well-meaning permanent residents voted then faced deportation). So, it’s in everyone’s interest to keep lines clear. We’ll ensure voter registration forms and drives clearly state “you must be a U.S. citizen”. And perhaps require a check-box affirmation of citizenship and age that creates a paper trail so if someone lies, there’s evidence for prosecution.
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d. Confidence in Elections: Citizen-only voting is one piece of election integrity. Coupled with accurate rolls, verifiable ballots, and audit procedures, it boosts public trust. We want Colorado voters (who are citizens) to know their vote isn’t being negated by fraud or illegal ballots. That confidence can improve turnout and civic engagement.