Endorsements: How we view NC’s proposed constitutional amendment and Wake bonds

Raleigh voters will see additional items at the bottom of their ballot, asking for their approval on a proposed constitutional amendment and a bond referendum.

Here’s what we recommend:

Noncitizen voting amendment

North Carolina voters will be asked to approve or oppose a constitutional amendment that clarifies “only a citizen of the United States” can vote in state and local elections.

It isn’t a clarification that’s needed. The state constitution is already very clear, stating that “every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized” is eligible to vote in North Carolina elections.

It’s also a solution in search of a problem. There’s no evidence that suggests that the existing language is inadequate or somehow enabling voting by noncitizens in state and local elections.

But Republicans want you to think that it is. In an op-ed in Fox News in July, N.C. House Majority Leader John Bell said that the amendment is necessary because there are millions of undocumented immigrants who may be terrorists, members of the Chinese Communist Party or violent criminals, and they may try to vote in North Carolina’s elections.

Again, there is no evidence to suggest that will happen, nor is there any reason to believe that our existing electoral processes aren’t secure enough to stop them if they were to try. Between 2015 and 2022, North Carolina State Board of Elections only referred eight cases of suspected noncitizen voting to prosecutors — an infinitesimal fraction of all votes cast in the state during that time period.

The exact language of the amendment is far too vague — it states that “only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and otherwise possessing the qualifications for voting shall be entitled to vote.” It doesn’t define “citizen,” and it doesn’t clarify what it means to “otherwise possess the qualifications for voting.” That vagueness invites confusion and misinterpretation, which isn’t good for anyone.

It’s not that we don’t believe in keeping our elections safe and secure. We oppose this amendment because they already are, and putting it on the ballot only encourages voters to believe otherwise. That’s dangerous.

We recommend voting NO on this amendment.

Wake County library bond

Wake County has an excellent library system that helps with literacy training, youth programs and research. But that excellence can stretch only so far as the county’s rapid growth strains library resources.

The last time Wake County made a major investment in its libraries was in 2007, when voters approved a $45 million bond. Since then, the county’s population has grown by more than 300,000.

Now it’s time to catch up. Wake County voters will be asked on the Nov. 5 ballot to approve a $142 million bond to improve the public library system. The borrowing would provide $67.1 million to build new libraries in Rolesville and Apex and replace the Athens Drive Community Library in Raleigh and the Wendell Community Library. Another $55.6 million will go toward library expansions and renovations.

The investment is big, but the cost to taxpayers isn’t. The bond would add $2.50 per year to every $100,000 of property value. For example, a home valued at $462,000 would see an annual tax increase of $11.50.

Wake’s libraries are not only about reading books. They help people learn to read. Lisa Rowe, president and CEO the Triangle Literacy Council, said more library resources will help more people attain literacy.

“The libraries provide accessible, safe, welcoming, and resource-filled locations along with staff expertise, and we wouldn’t be able to accommodate as many students if we weren’t able to rely on them,“ she said.

On the Nov. 5 ballot, vote YES on the Wake County Public Libraries bond.

This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 5:00 AM.