Georgia Secretary Of State Urges Voter Citizenship Amendment To State Constitution

FILE – In this Dec. 14, 2020, file photo, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a press conference in Atlanta. The Republican Raffensperger said on Thursday, July 29, 2021 that he supports an effort to remove the elections director in Fulton County, Georgia’s most populous. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

John Bazemore / AP Photo

Georgia’s top elections official wants to amend the state Constitution to say only U.S. citizens can vote in the state’s elections, a protection that already exists in state law.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican who’s facing a primary challenge next year, said during a news conference Wednesday that he’s calling on the state General Assembly to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot next year for voters to consider.

“Fortunately, Georgia code already makes clear that only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in Georgia, but we are seeing disturbing trends across the country that makes this issue too important to be left up to future legislatures,” Raffensperger said.