Majority of Democrats in key midterm state oppose banning noncitizens from voting in local elections: new poll
The Ohio Issue 2, Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment, will be on the state's November general election ballot
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A new poll released Wednesday showed a majority of Democrats in Ohio overwhelmingly oppose banning individuals who aren't U.S. citizens from voting in local elections, just weeks before voters will decide whether to approve a ballot initiative seeking such a ban.
According to the Spectrum News/Siena College poll, 54% of Democrats say they would oppose "a state constitutional amendment that would prohibit local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections," while just 43% said they would support it.
On the other side of the political divide, 72% of Republicans said they would support such an amendment, with just 28% saying they would oppose it.
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Of that 72%, 65% said they "strongly support" the amendment.
Those who identified as independents or members of another party also overwhelmingly said they would support the amendment, with 60% saying they were in favor of it and just 34% saying they opposed it.
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Voters fill out ballots at the Nativity School polling place on Election Day Nov. 8, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
In total, 59% of Ohio voters, regardless of party, said they would support an amendment banning noncitizen voting, while just 38% said they would oppose it.
When split by gender, 60% of both men and women said they would support such a measure, while 38% of men and 36% of women said they would oppose it.
When broken down by race, White voters would support it 62%-36%, and Black voters would support it 51%-46%
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Majorities of all age groups, education and income levels also said they would support such an amendment.
A seagull flies past One World Trade Center and the Empire State Building as seen from the Staten Island Ferry Sept. 4, 2020, in New York City. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
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Noncitizens are permitted to vote in a few cities across the U.S., as well as 14 smaller jurisdictions, including New York City, whose city council voted last year to allow such voting in local elections.
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Voting on Ohio's ballot initiative, officially called the Ohio Issue 2, Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment, will take place in conjunction with the midterm elections Tuesday, Nov. 8.