FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky voters passed Constitutional Amendment 1, banning anyone who is not a U.S. citizen from voting in the commonwealth.

While federal law already makes it a crime for non-citizens to vote in presidential elections, and Kentucky requires registered voters to be citizens who have lived in the state for at least 28 days before Election Day, Amendment 1 was placed on the ballot to ensure this is in accordance with the Constitution Kentucky specifically states that non-citizens are not allowed to vote.

Specifically, after the passage of Amendment 1, this line is added: “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be permitted to vote in this State.”

Kentucky Secretary of State

Amendment 1 was overwhelmingly supported by the Republican Party, while others noted that the language appeared redundant due to state and federal voting requirements.

Our partners at LEX 18 News spoke with Rep. Michael Meredith, who sponsored the amendment in the Kentucky House. He said the reason for the seemingly unnecessary change is to prevent non-citizens from voting in local elections, such as for school boards.

“Not in state elections, not in federal elections, but they do it at the local level – in local elections,” Meredith said. “They participate in school board elections.”

This is what Section 145 of the Kentucky Constitution will say:

Any citizen of the United States eighteen years of age who has lived in the State for one year and in the county for six months, and in the district in which he or she casts his or her vote for 60 days before the election, is a voter in said district and not elsewhere. No person who is not a citizen of the United States may vote in this state. Also excluded from voting rights are:

1. Persons convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction of treason, felony, electoral bribery, or any serious misdemeanor as may be determined by the General Assembly shall be deemed disqualified from voting, but persons hereby disqualified may be disqualified by pardon from the Executive in their Civil rights reverted.

2. Persons who are in custody for a criminal offense at the time of the election due to a court judgment.

3. Idiots and mentally ill people.

Section 155 is also amended to read:

The provisions of Sections 145 to 154, inclusive, shall not apply to the election of school trustees and other general school district elections. These elections will be regulated by the General Assembly, unless otherwise provided in these Articles of Association. No person who is not a citizen of the United States may vote in these elections.

Find the latest general election results from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana here.