Episode #450
Jack Tomczak: "Non-Citizens" Are Voting
Bryce sits down with Jack Tomczak of Americans for Citizen Voting, a longtime political operative who's worked on campaigns since the late '90s, to break down a constitutional detail most people assume is already settled: the U.S. Constitution doesn't explicitly require voters in federal elections to be U.S. citizens — it leaves that eligibility question to the states. Jack walks through how his organization has worked to amend state constitutions to close that loophole, why California and a handful of other states remain out of reach for that approach, and why his group is now pushing a federal resolution to settle the question at the constitutional level. The conversation covers the current politics around that push — including which lawmakers are involved, the vote count needed to get it to the floor, and Jack's read on why some Republicans remain hesitant despite what he describes as overwhelming public support. Bryce and Jack also spend time on voter ID, the broader "is our system secure" debate, and wrap up with their take on the recent LA mayoral race and the case for faster, more transparent vote counting nationwide. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Intro, welcome Jack Tomczak 00:50 — Jack's background in politics, from Senate campaigns to today 03:29 — Why Jack prefers issue advocacy over politics itself 04:26 — "Politics is downstream of culture" 05:25 — Overview of Americans for Citizen Voting 07:11 — What the Constitution actually says (and doesn't say) about voter eligibility 09:35 — The California scenario — how one state's rules could ripple into federal elections 11:28 — The two-front strategy: state constitutions and a federal amendment 11:52 — Responding to opposition talking points 13:40 — Voter ID discussion 15:15 — Breaking down the federal resolution and what it does 16:13 — Political hesitation — why some Republicans haven't signed on 18:22 — Polling numbers on citizen-only voting support 19:05 — Odds of getting a floor vote 21:15 — The LA mayor's race 22:36 — The case for faster, more transparent elections 24:27 — How to get involved, contacting Congress 25:04 — Where to follow the organization See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
