Commentaries at the San Antonio Report provide space for our community to share perspectives and offer solutions to pressing local issues. The views expressed in this commentary belong to the author alone.

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all individuals born or naturalized in the U.S., including formerly enslaved people. This landmark amendment remains a cornerstone of American democracy, ensuring that all citizens — regardless of how they attained citizenship — have equal rights, including the right to vote.

Today, naturalized citizens play a crucial role in shaping the country’s future. According to the Pew Research Center, 23.8 million Americans are naturalized citizens eligible to vote, making up approximately 10% of the U.S. electorate. In Texas, 2.2 million foreign-born citizens are eligible voters, placing the state among the top four — along with California, Florida, and New York — where 55% of the nation’s naturalized citizen voters reside.

Local elections have a direct impact on daily life, influencing policies on public health, safety, economic development and affordable housing, yet voter participation in these elections remains low. In the May 2023 local election, only 15.34% of registered voters in Bexar County cast a ballot, leaving 892,466 eligible voters who did not participate. The next local election on May 3, with early voting from April 22 to April 29, presents an opportunity to change this trend.