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Proposal to clarify Nebraska constitution would bar noncitizen local voting; advocates call it proactive, critics say it's redundant
Summary
LR 283 CA would amend Article 6, section 1 by replacing 'every' with 'only a' United States citizen to make explicit that only citizens may be electors. Sponsors called it a clarity measure; civic groups said Nebraska law and practice already require citizenship and warned it could be a symbolic, costly ballot item.
Lincoln — Senator Barry DeKay told the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee that LR 283 CA would remove ambiguity from the state constitution by replacing the word "every" with "only a" in the section that defines electors, making explicit that only U.S. citizens may be electors in Nebraska.
DeKay said the change is a proactive clarification in light of recent measures elsewhere that allow noncitizen voting in some local jurisdictions. "Clarification is not redundancy," he said, adding that the change would reinforce existing state and federal prohibitions on noncitizen voting.
Supporters described LR 283 CA as a simple, commonly used constitutional wording that eliminates potential misinterpretation. Bud Synhorst, representing Americans for Citizen Voting, told the committee the one-word change would remove ambiguity.
Opponents from civic organizations argued the amendment is redundant and risks fueling misinformation about voter fraud. Kieran Kissler of Civic Nebraska said state law already requires citizenship for registration, and Gavin Geis of Common Cause Nebraska called the measure symbolic and a potential source of voter confusion if put before the public.
Legal and municipal witnesses noted differences among states and cities that have allowed noncitizen voting, saying Nebraska's constitutional language and legal precedent are not the same as those jurisdictions. Committee members asked whether the change would alter existing practice; multiple secretaries of state historically have advised that citizenship is already required.
Senator DeKay closed by saying the amendment gives clear guidance for future elections and cited possible administrative costs if multiple ballots became necessary in a bifurcated system. The committee recorded 17 proponents, nine opponents and one neutral on the hearing record; no committee vote was taken.
Next steps: LR 283 CA will remain in committee for further consideration.
