Question

in the 2020 elections in colorado, voters were asked to decide whether to amend a voting provision in the state constitution. the provision is shown below, with the change in old wording and using all caps for the amended words. every citizen only a citizen of the united states who has attained the age of eighteen years, has resided in this state for such time as may be prescribed by law, and has met other requirements by law shall be qualified to vote at all elections. the amendment was approved by the voters. replacing every citizen by only a citizen seems like a minor change in the provision. but what does the change really mean? a. is there a situation in which a person might qualify to vote under the old provision but not under the new provision? hint: consider whether there are any circumstances under one wording but not the other. a. yes, the old provision explicitly states that non - citizens who meet the age, residency, and registration requirements can vote in all elections. b. yes, while the old provision says that every citizen of the united states meeting the other conditions can vote, it does not address whether non - citizens might be allowed to vote. c. no, the new provision is actually less restrictive on the voting rights of non - citizens than the old provision. the age, residency, and registration requirements are less restrictive. d. no, the meanings of the two provisions are the same regarding whether non - citizens might vote. the age, residency, and registration requirements are all the same.

Explanation:

The old provision "Every citizen" could potentially be interpreted more broadly, perhaps leaving room for a mis - understanding that other groups might be included. The new "Only a citizen" clearly restricts voting rights to citizens only. Under the old provision, there could have been an assumption (even if incorrect) that non - citizens who met other requirements might vote, while the new one clearly excludes non - citizens.

Answer:

B. Yes, while the old provision says that "every citizen" of the United States meeting the other conditions can vote, it does not explicitly rule out non - citizens in the way the new "only a citizen" does.