Iowa voters approve constitutional amendments
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2024/10/23/1729692316635.gif?w=3840)
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Voters approved two amendments to Iowa's constitution, per the Associated Press.
Why it matters: The measures have longtime implications on the state's voting laws and the way in which a lieutenant governor can be appointed.
State of play: One amendment, which was nominally about voting age rules, changes the state's constitution to say "only" U.S. citizens can vote in elections, instead of "every" citizen. It passed the legislature with bipartisan support.
- However, advocates and voting experts recently warned it would bar future legislatures from amending state law to authorize noncitizens to vote in local elections, as has been done in some jurisdictions outside of Iowa.
Zoom in: The other amendment replaces a section of the state constitution that determines what happens when an Iowa governor resigns, dies or is removed from office.
- A lieutenant governor-turned-governor can now appoint someone to fill their former spot.
Flashback: The line of succession issue surfaced in 2017 when former Gov. Terry Branstad resigned after being appointed by former President Trump to serve as U.S. ambassador to China.
- Then-Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds became governor and appointed her new lieutenant.
- But former Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller issued a legal opinion saying that based on his reading of the constitution, she had not technically vacated her old job and could not formally appoint her replacement.
After this amendment, proponents argue there will no longer be a legal gray area in a similar situation.