For the second consecutive session, a resolution that would have amended the state Constitution to ensure only United States citizens vote in West Virginia elections again died in the House of Delegates.
And proponents of the bill are putting the blame on House leadership.
“It’s deeply disappointing that the West Virginia Legislature failed to pass the Americans for Citizens Only Voting amendment this session,” Charlie Kolean with Americans for Citizen Voting told The West Virginia Record. “Despite overwhelming support from both voters and legislators last time, House leadership failed to prioritize this commonsense measure.
“The reality is, without this safeguard, West Virginia remains vulnerable to non-citizens casting ballots in our elections. Our Founding Fathers believed in government by and for the people — citizens — and they would be appalled by this failure to act. This fight isn’t over.”
Senate Joint Resolution 8 passed by a 34-0 vote April 3 after being approved March 31 by the Senate Finance Committee. The measure was passed by the Senate Judicial Committee in February.
The measure then was sent to the House of Delegates, which had the similar House Joint Resolution 13 still sitting in the House Rules Committee after being passed by the House Judicial Committee. SJR8 was introduced April 3 in the House and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it sat until the end of the session on April 12.
