WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — If you’ve ever voted in North Carolina, you may have noticed a constitutional notice at the bottom of the ballot. The referendum on NC ballots would change language in the state constitution, which allows U.S.-born and naturalized citizens over the age of 18 to vote.

The referendum states: “A constitutional amendment providing that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and otherwise qualified to vote shall be entitled to vote in any election in this state.

Voters can choose whether they are “for” or “against” the referendum.

The amendment would change the language to remove the word “naturalized,” which refers to people who were not born in the United States but have obtained their citizenship.

The referendum is considered by many to be unnecessary, since every US state already allows voting to citizens over the age of 18.

So why is this on the ballot?

Nadine Gibson, a political science instructor at UNCW, said this was likely intended to encourage conservative voters concerned about election integrity to show up to vote for races further down the ballot.

“It’s definitely on the agenda as a mobilization strategy. This won’t actually change anything in North Carolina. Non-citizens are not legally allowed to vote in North Carolina elections,” Gibson explained.

Voting rights activists fear the change could limit the ability of naturalized citizens to vote.

Sam Black is a naturalized citizen who lives in Wilmington. She left England to emigrate to the United States at the age of five. This is the first election in which she has voted.

She said she was unaware of the referendum on voting for both.

“I thought I was pretty educated on most of the issues and I was a little surprised by it, and then the other girl I was with too, she was surprised as well,” Black recalled.

Black said she voted in favor of the amendment, without knowing much about it. After doing research, she fears the amendment could be used against voters like her.

“I think everyone should have the right to vote, whether you were born or a naturalized citizen, whether you went through that process,” Black said.

Gibson emphasized that regardless of language, naturalized citizens are still citizens and the change should not affect their ability to vote.

What’s far more worrying, she says, is that it could fuel misinformation.

“Some people might come away thinking that we are currently allowing non-citizens to vote, rather than this being a very small change in language,” Gibson said. “I think it’s a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.”