Do you have to be an American citizen to vote in the presidential election? Just curious. (You all know I’m a citizen).
Voting is a state issue. Check with you state’s voting requirements. The US Constitution specifies the States to determine the qualifications for voting:
House - Article I., Section 2.
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
Senate - Amendment XVII.
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.
President - Article II., Section 1.
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
If you go here and read the individual state constitutions you should find the basic qualification for voting in the respective states is US citizenship.
With the exception of age, gender and race, for which various amendments have been ratified.
There has been a large movement for the past few years in New York City to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, due to NYC’s huge immigrant population.
According to the law, yes. The reality is that many non-citizens register and vote in American elections. The number is a subject of dispute.
Yes, by definition.
What the heck does “yes, by definition” mean?
Prior to around 1920, many states allowed legal immigrants who had not yet attained citizenship to vote. These laws were gradually repealed during the anti-immigrant backlash during and after World War I, and today all 50 states make citizenship a requirement to vote. However, a few municipalities allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, and any state which wanted to resume the practice for state and federal elections would be free to do so.
This is true, but since many states establish the citizenship requirement within their state constitutions, any attempt to allow non-citizens to vote would require an admendment to the state constitution.
It means, what is the difference between a citizen and a non-citizen besides the ability to vote?
If that were the case, there would be no such thing as a citizen under the age of 18, and felons who lose their voting rights would no longer be considered citizens either.
US citizens have these rights:
(1) To remain in the US without being deported for any reason
(2) To re-enter the US after being outside the country
(3) All the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights (though aliens probably have a lot of those rights too).
US citizens have these duties:
(1) To file federal income tax returns on world-wide income, even when outside the US
(2) Not to commit treason against the US, fight wars against the US, or join the military forces of an enemy state.