© 2025 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

'Voting for citizens only' — Prop 16 on the Nov. 4 ballot

Ways To Subscribe
Courtesy Photo

On November 4, Texans will decide on 17 proposed amendments to their state Constitution, the largest batch since 2003.

The measures span a wide range of issues: property tax relief, judicial reforms, funding for education and water, parental rights, and stricter voting eligibility rules.

Each amendment must secure a simple majority to pass.

Proposition 16 would amend Article 6, Section 1 of the Texas Constitution to explicitly add “persons who are not citizens of the United States” to the list of people ineligible to vote.

Today that list includes people under 18, those adjudicated mentally incompetent, and people convicted of a felony (with exceptions the Legislature can set).

The ballot caption reads: “The constitutional amendment clarifying that a voter must be a United States citizen.”

Supporters describe Prop 16 as a constitutional safeguard that aligns the state charter with existing practice and makes any future attempt to permit noncitizen voting far more difficult, requiring another constitutional amendment rather than a simple statute.

Under current Texas law, registrants must attest to U.S. citizenship, and it is a felony for a noncitizen to vote; enshrining the rule in the Constitution is framed by backers as boosting clarity and voter confidence.

Opponents call the measure redundant and potentially misleading. Because Texas already requires citizenship to register and vote, critics argue that a constitutional change is unnecessary and may create the impression that noncitizen voting is a widespread problem, which research and prosecutions have not borne out.

They also warn that hyperbolic messaging around the amendment could chill participation among eligible voters in marginalized communities.

Guest:
Charlie Kolean is the state director of Americans for Citizens Voting.

"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.

This interview will be recorded live Monday, October 13, 2025.

Stay Connected
David Martin Davies can be reached at dmdavies@tpr.org and on Twitter at @DavidMartinDavi