What are you voting for?

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky voters will see two constitutional amendments on their ballots this year General elections.

We have discussed Amendment 2 at length, what could change where public tax dollars are spent on education, but what about amendment 1?

Although the ballot language is long, Amendment 1 asks if you want to add the following line to the Kentucky Constitution: “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be permitted to vote in this State.”

Essentially, Amendment 1 focuses on prohibiting anyone who is not a U.S. citizen from voting in Kentucky.

Federal law already criminalizes voting in presidential elections by non-citizens. Kentucky also requires registered voters to be U.S. citizens who have resided in the commonwealth for at least 28 days before Election Day.

Our partners at LEX 18 News he spoke with state Rep. Michael Meredith, who sponsored the amendment in the Kentucky House. He said the reason for what may seem like an unnecessary change is to prevent noncitizens from voting in local elections, such as school boards.

“Not in state or federal elections, but they do it at the local level – by voting in local elections,” Meredith said. “They vote in school board elections.”

While the amendment received overwhelming GOP support, others noted it was not something to be concerned about because of the already established citizenship requirement to become a registered voter.

Voting in favor of Amendment 1 will add specific language. A “no” vote will keep the wording of the Kentucky Constitution the same.

This is exactly what Amendment 1 will look like on your ballot:

Do you support amending sections 145 and 155 of the Kentucky Constitution to prohibit non-citizens from voting in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as indicated below?

ARTICLE 145 OF THE KENTUCKY CONSTITUTION IS PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:

Every citizen of the United States, eighteen years of age or older, who has been a resident of this State for one year, and of the county for six months, and in a district which offers voting sixty days prior to the election, shall be a voter in that district and not elsewhere. No person who is not a citizen of the United States will be able to vote in this state. The following also have no voting rights:

1. Persons convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction of high treason, criminal treason, bribery in an election, or such grave offense as the General Assembly may determine, shall be disqualified from suffrage, and such disqualified persons may have their civil rights restored by pardon. executive power.

2. Persons who at the time of the election are in custody on the basis of a court judgment for a criminal offense.

3. Idiots and madmen.

ARTICLE 155 OF THE KENTUCKY CONSTITUTION IS PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:

The provisions of § 145-154, inclusive, shall not apply to the election of school superintendents and other general elections in school districts. These elections shall be governed by the General Assembly, unless otherwise provided in this Constitution. No person who is not a citizen of the United States will be eligible to vote in said election.

YES OR NO