What are you voting for?

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky voters will see two constitutional amendments on their ballots this general election.

We've reported extensively on Amendment 2, which could change how public tax dollars are spent on education, but what about Amendment 1?

While the voting language is lengthy, Amendment 1 asks if you would like to add this line to the Kentucky Constitution: “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall vote in this State.”

Essentially, Amendment 1 is about banning anyone who is not a U.S. citizen from voting in Kentucky.

Federal law already makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote in presidential elections. Kentucky also requires that registered voters be U.S. citizens who have lived in the commonwealth for at least 28 days before Election Day.

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.”

While the amendment was overwhelmingly supported by the Republican Party, others said there should be no fear of it due to the aforementioned citizenship requirement to become a registered voter.

If you vote yes to Amendment 1, the specific wording will be added. Voting “no” will preserve the text of the Kentucky Constitution.

This is exactly how Amendment 1 will appear on your ballot:

Do you support amending Sections 145 and 155 of the Kentucky Constitution to prohibit persons who are not citizens of the United States from voting in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as set forth below?

It is proposed to amend Section 145 of the Kentucky Constitution to read:

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 a pardon granted by the Executive their civil rights restored.

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.

It is proposed to amend Section 155 of the Kentucky Constitution 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.

YES OR NO