Boston City Councilors began to lay out a plan to allow immigrants with legal status to vote in municipal elections, wondering how to finesse around the pesky state Legislature.
“Non-citizens with legal status live here,” said Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune. “They participate in our schools, pay taxes, are members of this body politic and should be able to exercise their right to vote on the matters that matter most to them.”
As of this year, 15 municipalities allow non-citizens to vote, Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune said, including New York City and San Francisco. If Boston follows suit, upwards of 40,000 immigrants would be able to vote in local elections, speakers estimated.
With the recent successful council vote to lower the municipal election voting age to 16 and the statewide support for driver’s licenses for immigrants without legal status, councilors said, the previously unsuccessful proposal may now stand a shot.
But there are likely to be hefty barriers — including state Legislature abyss.
“Just based on how unsuccessful some home rule petitions have been up at the State House, if there is a way to do this by city ordinance, I would like to move that forward,” said Councilor
Gabriela Coletta. “If there is a will to do this in the city, we should move forward without getting any permission from the state.”
The city ordinance may leave more room for legal challenges, said Jacob Love, a staff attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights. Coletta said addressing the legal challenge may be simpler than moving the petition through the Legislature.
“We already know what happens when things go to the State House — they die,” echoed Councilor Julia Mejia.
The recent ordinances of this kind are not without historical precedent, said Harvard professor and voting rights researcher Alex Keyssar. Despite common misunderstanding, Keyssar said, non-citizens have had the right to vote even in state and federal elections for periods throughout the country’s history.
Councilor Kendra Lara, sponsor of the proposal, said her office has looked into who has standing to mount a legal challenge if the measure were to pass.
Like for many Bostonians, Lara said, she has a personal connection to the issue.
“(My father) has spent over 30 years in this country, working, paying taxes, sending us to school, putting us through college and watching us pour all of our gifts back into our communities,” said Lara. “But last year when his youngest daughter ran for public office, he couldn’t cast his vote. … I’m excited to continue this conversation.”
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“Non-citizens with legal status live here,….they participate in….and should be able to exercise their right to vote on the matters that matter most to them.” I has been understood the in order to exercise to right to vote one first had to become a citizen, take an oath. Ruthzee Louijeune has her ligic backward. By not becoming a citizen they remain outsiders with reasons that may not be in the best interest of the country, or in this case the city. This is a slippery slope that will complicate elections in the future!
26th Amendment
Section 1.
The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.
“(My father) has spent over 30 years in this country, working, paying taxes, sending us to school. BUT never bothered to become a citizen of the U.S.A..
If one wants to vote, then become a U.S. citizen. If you don’t then don’t whine about not being allowed to vote!
Times like this, maybe we DO need a good alien invasion, blowing up a # of these big leftist cities.. Come on ID4!!!
Therein lies one of the biggest obstacles to election integrity—allowing non-citizens to vote.
Sooner or later some brave police Captain or Chief of Police will arrest these local politicians for promoting fraud via unConstitutional means that defraud and cancel LEGAL citiznes of a vote that counts. D.A.s who refuse to prosecute first to get jailed. Breaking an oath to protect and defend the Constitution should bear heavy fines and penalites to all who abuse those oaths.
HELL will freeze over, LONG before any of these traitors to our constitution, EVER face, one lick of punishment…
And when states like CA, who’ve been allowing illegals to vote for years, ITS NO WONDER< that only dems ever win there..
What is it these idiots do not understand about having to be a CITIZEN to be able to VOTE! It’s always been this way and should NEVER be allowed for NON-CiTIZENS to vote.