In 2026, voters in six states will decide ballot measures related to citizenship requirements for voting, continuing a multi-year trend that started in 2018. Each measure would provide that only U.S. citizens may vote in state and local elections. Five are legislative constitutional amendments, and one — in Alaska — is a citizen-initiated state statute.
Measures in Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota, and West Virginia would define who is eligible, or ineligible, to vote based on citizenship.
In Arizona, the constitutional amendment would provide that “only citizens may register and vote in Arizona elections.” Unlike the constitutions of the other five states, however, the Arizona Constitution already expressly limits voting to U.S. citizens, stating that “no person shall be entitled to vote ... unless such person be a citizen of the United States.” The constitutional amendment is also broader than the other measures, addressing citizenship, voter identification, campaign finance, and election administration.
