Proposed amendment would bar noncitizens from voting in federal races
In committeeH.J.Res. 152Latest action
Sponsor: Laurel M. Lee · Representative · FL
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Official title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to ensure that only citizens are eligible to vote in Federal elections.
119th Congress
Topics: Government & democracy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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HJRES 152 would amend the Constitution to limit federal election voting to U.S. citizens, requiring approval by two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of states.
55-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
HJRES 152 proposes a constitutional amendment formally restricting voting in federal elections — for president, vice president, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House — to U.S. citizens only. To take effect, the amendment must be approved by two-thirds of both the House and Senate, then ratified by three-fourths of all 50 states. Each state legislature would write its own enforcement laws, though Congress could override those rules and would directly govern enforcement for Washington, D.C.
Who does it affect?
Noncitizens living in the United States would be directly affected, as would state and local governments that currently set their own election rules. Washington, D.C. residents would face a distinct situation, with their election enforcement rules falling more directly under congressional control.
Why does it matter?
No federal law currently permits noncitizens to vote in federal elections, so the amendment would constitutionalize an existing federal-level practice. Some local governments have independently allowed noncitizens to vote in local races such as school board or city council elections, and this amendment could create pressure on or constraints around those arrangements at the local level.
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Where does it stand?
- IntroducedMar 19, 2026
- House committeeYou are here · Mar 19, 2026
- House vote
- Senate
- Sent to the states
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House. Both chambers have to pass the same text, each by two thirds. A proposed constitutional amendment never goes to the president: it goes to the states, and three quarters of them have to ratify it before it takes effect.
Latest action: — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.