U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) has joined Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and 20 other Republican senators in proposing legislation aimed at banning noncitizens from voting in elections held in Washington, D.C.
Senator Budd stated, “The American people’s right to vote in free and fair elections is diminished when jurisdictions like D.C. allow noncitizens to interfere in our democratic process. This must stop. No city, state, territory, or federal district is above the law. I am proud to join Senator Britt and my colleagues in introducing commonsense, bipartisan legislation to strengthen election integrity.”
Senator Britt added, “This isn’t just about local school boards or fixing potholes. This is about the direction of our nation’s capital. In the city representing the strongest democratic republic in the world, the D.C. City Council chose to flagrantly violate one of democracy’s core principles. This is a slap in the face to every American citizen, whether they live in D.C. or not, who should be the only voters deciding who represents them in every election and at every level of government. I am hopeful we gain bipartisan support in the Senate for this commonsense bill—it is our duty to protect the votes of hardworking American citizens, including those who came to our country legally and took the time and effort to go through the naturalization process. Ultimately, this is about strengthening the integrity of our elections.”
Other co-sponsors of the Senate bill include Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).
Representative August Pfluger (R-Texas-11) introduced similar legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The measure passed with bipartisan support after 54 House Democrats joined Republicans in favor.
In 2022, Washington D.C.’s City Council approved a law that allows noncitizens—including undocumented immigrants and foreign embassy staff—to vote in local elections for positions such as Mayor, Attorney General, and City Council members.
Recent public opinion surveys indicate that between 85% and 90% of Americans support restricting voting rights to U.S. citizens only.
Similar policies allowing noncitizen voting have been enacted by cities in Maryland, Vermont, and New York.
