FF: The Fight to Keep the Ballot Box Exclusively for Citizens with Jack Tomczak

The idea that only U.S. citizens should vote in American elections is supported by 90% of Americans across all demographics, yet a constitutional loophole allows non-citizens to vote in local elections in several states—triggering automatic eligibility to vote in federal elections. Jack Tomczak, political strategist for Americans for Citizens Voting, explains that while most states don’t explicitly restrict voting to citizens, a handful have enabled non-citizen voting in municipal elections, creating a dangerous precedent. The real threat lies in the U.S. Constitution: if a state allows non-citizens to vote for its legislature, those same non-citizens gain the right to vote for Congress—something that cannot be undone by federal law. This is why Tomczak is pushing House Joint Resolution 152, a constitutional amendment to ensure only citizens can vote in federal elections. Despite overwhelming public support, political resistance persists, not from policy concerns but from fear of alienating certain voter bases. Yet Tomczak argues that this issue is uniquely bipartisan—90% of Americans agree—and that Democrats could gain political advantage by embracing it. Victory, he believes, is possible if Congress holds a hearing and votes on the amendment this summer, with ratification potentially happening through a popular vote in states, not just legislatures.