WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – While the race for president and governor might be getting most of the attention right now, there’s one issue at the end of the ballot that has some voters torn and confused.

The referendum reads: “Constitutional amendment to provide that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and otherwise possessing the qualifications for voting shall be entitled to vote at any election in this State.”

Then there are options to vote for or against.

The ballot amendment comes from legislators in the state house and senate, but it’s led to some confusion. It is already illegal to state vote if you are not a citizen or are younger than 18 years old. Some wonder why they’re voting on something that’s already considered law.

The key with the constitutional amendment is it would change the wording of what’s already in the constitution. The state constitution currently reads: “Every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized, 18 years of age, and possessing the qualifications set out in this Article, shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people of the State, except as herein otherwise provided.”

The constitutional amendment would get rid of the word “naturalized,” even though people who become naturalized are considered citizens. Some in the Democratic party say the amendment language encourages anti-immigrant rhetoric and is encouraging people to vote against it.

Chair of the New Hanover County Democratic Party Jill Hopman sent us the following statement:

“The New Hanover County Democratic Party opposes the proposed constitutional amendment and strongly urges the public to vote against it. This is an ambiguous, unnecessary, and dangerous fearmongering tactic by Republicans disguised as policy. To be clear, it is already unlawful for any non-citizen to vote. Instead, this amendment could limit the constitutional rights of naturalized citizens, re-define the “qualifications for voting,” and spread misinformation about the fairness and security behind our elections. Voter fraud, particularly by undocumented immigrants, is a myth, as countless studies have proven. Republicans should stop creating fake problems and instead tackle the litany of real ones that do exist like affordable housing, public education, and climate change.”

Meanwhile, chair of the New Hanover County Republican Party Nevin Carr III told WECT he couldn’t believe the amendment was controversial. The Republican Party is encouraging voters to vote for it.

“I’m hearing the Democrat Party is against this referendum? Unbelievable. You would think we could at least agree that strengthening voter protections for US citizens is a good thing. On the other hand, if you are on a mission to fundamentally transform this country I guess you need to fundamentally transform the electorate. For years Democrats have been ushering in millions of unvetted migrants into our communities, and now they’re telling us why.”

That measure will be at the very end of your ballot. We will have the latest on the referendum on election night November 5 on WECT News.

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