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S.J.Res. 212119th CongressRead twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to ensure that only citizens are eligible to vote in Federal elections.
Introduced: Aug 7, 2026
Latest action: Aug 7, 2026
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
1
Primary Sponsors
0
Cosponsors
2
Recorded Actions
0
Linked Votes
Plain-English AI Summary
What this bill means
Generated from the official bill text to make the legislation easier to understand.
What this bill does
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that explicitly limits voting eligibility in federal elections exclusively to U.S. citizens.
The restriction applies to primary and general elections for:
* President and Vice President
* Presidential electors
* U.S. Senators
* U.S. Representatives
Who it affects
* **Voters in federal elections:** Only individuals who are U.S. citizens would be eligible to vote for federal offices.
* **State legislatures:** Required to pass laws to enforce the citizenship restriction within their states.
* **The U.S. Congress:** Granted federal oversight authority over state enforcement rules and explicit authority over voting enforcement in the District of Columbia.
* **State Constitutional Conventions:** Three-fourths of the states must hold conventions to ratify the proposed amendment for it to take effect.
What would change
* **Voting Eligibility:** The U.S. Constitution would formally state that only U.S. citizens can vote in primary or general elections for federal offices.
* **State Requirements:** State legislatures would be required to enact appropriate legislation to enforce this restriction.
* **Federal Authority:** Congress would be authorized to create, change, or override state enforcement regulations at any time through federal law. Congress would also be given explicit authority to pass enforcement legislation for the District of Columbia.
* **Ratification Process:** To become part of the Constitution, the proposed amendment must be ratified by constitutional conventions in three-fourths of the states.
Money or funding
The provided summary text does not mention any appropriations, spending, taxes, or fees.
Important exceptions or limits
* **Approval Deadline / Requirement:** The amendment does not take effect immediately; it must first be ratified by constitutional conventions in at least three-fourths of the states.
* **Scope:** The citizenship requirement specified in the resolution applies specifically to federal elections (President, Vice President, electors, Senators, and Representatives).
Plain-English bottom line
This resolution seeks to add an amendment to the U.S. Constitution stating that only U.S. citizens may vote in federal elections. If three-fourths of state constitutional conventions ratify it, states would be required to enforce the rule, and Congress would be permitted to set or alter enforcement regulations nationwide and in Washington, D.C.
This summary was generated by AI from the official bill text. It is intended to make legislation easier to understand and does not replace the original legal language.
Official Summary
Official legislative summary associated with this bill.
No official summary is currently available.
Primary Sponsors
Members listed as primary sponsors of this legislation.
Cosponsors
Members who joined this legislation as cosponsors.
No cosponsors found.
Recorded Actions
Official legislative actions recorded for this measure.
Linked Votes
Roll-call votes associated with this legislation.
No roll-call votes are currently linked to this bill.
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