Editor’s note: This letter was written prior to Tropical Storm Helene and originally scheduled to appear in the Oct. 2 issue, which was canceled because of the storm.
Western North Carolina voters may be surprised to find a constitutional amendment on their ballot this election. All amendments must be initiated by the General Assembly, and this one comes from House Bill 1074 [avl.mx/e6p] that was passed by the House and Senate in May/June of this year. It simply states, “Constitutional amendment to provide that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and otherwise possessing the qualifications for voting shall be entitled to vote at any election in this State” and may seem innocuous.
In reality, this is based on unfounded, anti-immigrant fears and conspiracy theories that noncitizens are committing widespread voter fraud and threatening our elections. Existing North Carolina law makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote. Therefore, the proposed constitutional amendment prohibiting noncitizens from voting provides a purported solution to a problem that does not exist. The League of Women Voters of North Carolina urges you to vote no on this amendment. Find out more here: [avl.mx/e6q].
— Suzanne Fisher
President, League of Women Voters Asheville-Buncombe County
and board member, LWV North Carolina
Black Mountain
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