Texas Voters Approve Amendment Requiring U.S. Citizenship to Vote

By LeRoy Nellis | November 6, 2025

In a decisive move at the ballot box this week, Texas voters approved a state constitutional amendment formally requiring U.S. citizenship to vote in all Texas elections.

The measure—listed as Proposition 16 on the November 2025 ballot—passed by a wide margin, according to official Associated Press results. The amendment stems from Senate Joint Resolution 37, which sought to enshrine in the Texas Constitution what has long been established by state law: that only United States citizens may register and cast ballots in Texas elections.

What This Really Means
While headlines might make it sound like a sweeping new policy, the amendment doesn’t change the basic rules. Texas law already required citizenship to vote. Every voter registration application in the state has long included an oath affirming that the applicant is a U.S. citizen.
So why the amendment?
Supporters argue that constitutional language gives Texas additional protection against future efforts to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, as has happened in a few U.S. cities elsewhere. They see it as a preventive safeguard—a statement of principle about sovereignty, not a new restriction.

Critics, including voting-rights advocates, counter that the move is largely symbolic and risks fueling misinformation about voter eligibility. The Texas Tribune noted that the amendment “does not create new verification systems or proof requirements,” emphasizing that no one legally ineligible could vote before—and they still can’t now.

The Broader Picture
The measure comes amid nationwide debates about election integrity and citizenship verification. Several other states have passed or proposed similar constitutional amendments, citing concerns about local jurisdictions experimenting with non-citizen voting.
For Texas, the passage of Proposition 16 simply locks in a principle that was already law—but with the extra weight of constitutional permanence.

In practical terms, nothing changes for the average Texas voter. The same registration process applies. The same identification rules hold. Yet politically, the message resonates: Texans want their constitution to say clearly that voting is a right reserved for citizens.

Sources:
Associated Press
Texas Tribune
Ballotpedia – Texas Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment (2025)