OUR VIEW: Misleading, political and unnecessary — so vote 'no'
Don't be confused by the state referendum question on your Nov. 5 ballot, which implies that noncitizens can vote.
They can't.
The GOP-backed constitutional amendment essentially asks voters to ban something that's already forbidden.
The ballot question deserves a "no" vote because it's misleading, political and potentially harmful, depending on how future courts interpret its subtle change to the Wisconsin Constitution.
The question on statewide ballots reads: "Eligibility to vote. Shall section 1 of III of the constitution, which deals with suffrage, be amended to provide that only a United States citizen age 18 or older who resides in an election district may vote in an election for national, state or local office or at a statewide or local referendum?"
Much of this sentence is already enshrined in the state constitution. So why tweak the wording now?
Because the GOP, still under the thumb of former President Donald Trump, is hoping to scare more people to the polls by raising the specter of undocumented immigrants illegally voting — even though they aren't.
The state constitution now reads that "every United States citizen age 18 or older who is a resident of an election district" in Wisconsin is qualified to vote. So the referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot would change the word "every" to "only."
That sounds more restrictive, and potentially it could be if an unrestrained court seeks to exploit it.
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But don't miss what's most important: Federal law already forbids noncitizens from voting for president and Congress. Violators face up to five years in prison and deportation just for registering to vote.
Wisconsin also banned noncitizens from voting for state offices more than a century ago.
Sen. Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin, says the proposed amendment he coauthored would prevent local governments from allowing noncitizens from casting ballots in local races and referendums.
But no Wisconsin communities allow that now. Nor have any municipalities moved in that direction.
Bradley says he's trying to get ahead of any such attempt because some noncitizens are allowed to vote in local elections in other states. San Francisco, for example, lets parents and guardians of students vote for school board, regardless of citizenship.
But amending the state constitution to address speculative concerns is rash. This is supposed to be a founding and sacred document that's only changed for serious, pressing reasons.
Moreover, addressing a problem that doesn't exist isn't conservative. Remember the old proverb, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," which Republicans are fond of saying? Bradley's amendment violates that commonsense adage.
Politics seem to be getting the best of the GOP, given all of the outrageous lies about immigration and migrants that Trump is trying to foment to drive turnout.
With no evidence, Trump falsely claimed millions of undocumented immigrants voted for his opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the 2016 election. More recently, and following countless other slurs, Trump disparaged immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, by falsely claiming they were eating people's pet dogs and cats.
Trump claimed in Wisconsin last week that migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border are "poisoning the blood of the country." In reality, most immigrants work hard and contribute to our economy and communities.
Many small businesses in Wisconsin couldn't survive without their help. The same goes for entire industries, such as farming. Immigrants fill jobs in nursing, manufacturing, the military and more.
Noncitizens voting is extremely rare. The Wisconsin Elections Commission could cite only four cases over the last decade.
The statewide question Nov. 5 has little purpose beyond stirring division and fear. Vote "no" to keep the constitution as it is.
