IMMIGRANT VOTING RIGHTS MOVEMENTS AND PRACTICES UPDATE
January 2006
 

Maryland. Noncitizen residents voted, again, in several Maryland towns elections in 2005. (Six towns permit resident voting, including Takoma Park, Barnesville, Martin's Additions, Somerset, Garrett Park, and Chevy Chase section 3.) No one reported the sky had fallen due to alien voters.

Chicago, Illinois. Similarly, noncitizen residents will vote, again, in school elections in April, 2006 in Chicago.

New York City. In April 2005, the Coalition to Expand Voting Rights helped draft legislation that was successfully introduced into the NYC Council. On November 14, the Governmental Operations Committee of the New York City Council held hearings on the Voting Rights Restoration Act, which would allow about one million noncitizen residents 18 years of age or older to vote in New York City elections if they have been lawfully present for six months. You can find the legislation, testimony, links to media coverage here.  While no vote on this legislation was taken in 2005, the 60 member Coalition to Expand Voting Rights is working with representatives to reintroduce the legislation in 2006, as well as planning events to build greater community and organizational support.

Massachusetts.
Cambridge and Amherst: In February 2005, representatives re-filed home rule petitions that give noncitizens the right to vote in their local elections, and at the state level an enabling an act to allow adult noncitizen residents to vote in municipal elections was entertained in the state legislature. No definitive action was taken.

Newton: The nearby town of Newton moved closer to joining Cambridge. A campaign has been growing there, led by Alderman Ted Hess-Mahan, who is the prime sponsor of legislation.

Similarly, efforts are underway in Chelsea, Somerville and Boston.

Update July 2006: In May 2006, the town of Wayland, a wealthy enclave with a large Republican presence, approved in an overwhelmingly positive voice vote an article to enable non-citizens to vote in local elections and at Town meetings. Approximately 800 of the town's 14,000 residents were present. Wayland, along with Amherst and Cambridge, also is awaiting action by the Massachusetts legislature.

Portland, Maine. Stephen Spring, a representative on the Portland School Board, along with local immigrant leaders has been spearheading an effort to grant legal noncitizens voting rights in school board elections. School board members are likely to take the lead with the help and support from immigrant leaders to hold forums and organize a legislative strategy. They have received some good press -- including a well-written editorial in a major local paper -- which was published in November, 2005. They seek a resolution by the city council to pass legislation allowing legal noncitizens to vote for school board representatives.

According to Spring, "Immigrant groups there have been speaking up more frequently and more loudly on school matters. They are concerned about 'tracking' and other practices leading to inequitable access to high quality courses and instruction." The school board is very progressive -- four greens and five democrats, and Stephen Spring and three other Greens are fully behind a resolution asking the city council to pass legislation allowing legal noncitizens to vote for school board representatives.

Minnesota. For the past few years, the Minnesota Coalition for the Expansion of Voting Rights has been working with state representatives from St. Paul and Minneapolis, which led to the introduction of legislation to allow"permanent resident aliens" to vote in local elections.

In 2005, Five Minnesota state representatives launched a resident noncitizen voting rights initiative in 2005 (including representatives Kahn, Clark, Mariani, Davnie and Ellison, called H.F. 818, for legal permanent residents). The proposed amendment to the state's constitution is planned to be submitted as a ballot question in the 2006 general election.

Washington D.C. Advocates continue to strategize and organize to re-introduce legislation that would grant local voting rights to legal permanent residents. Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, which are smaller, more local level of governance, already permit noncitizen participation and have proven to be fertile ground for organizing.

California. After a near win of Proposition F in 2004 (which lost by 51% to 49%), San Francisco advocates are re-grouping and considering next steps. There has been some discussion by state representatives about the possibility of state level action. Advocates and legislators in several other jurisdictions, including San Bernardino, San Diego, and Los Angeles, have considered campaigns but have yet to fully launch them.

Connecticut. Immigrant and democracy advocates in Connecticut have worked to defend and advance the interest of immigrants, including by pursuing immigrant voting rights. Spearheaded by DemocracyWorks, a nonprofit group, state legislators have considered legislation.

Wisconsin. Alderman Austin King, who represents the eighth district in Madison's Common Council, included a proposal for noncitizen voting when he campaigned and won in 2003 and since his reelection in 2005, Alderman King and several of his colleagues plan to work toward introducing legislation within the next two years.

North Carolina. In 2004, John Herrera, a member of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen, asked the board to request that the state legislature grant "Carrboro immigrants who are permanent residents and have applied for U.S. citizenship the right to vote in local municipal elections. Reelected in 2005, Herrera hopes to pursue the issue with other advocates.

New Jersey. Immigrant advocates in several counties in New Jersey discussed launching initiatives to expand voting to noncitizens in school board and possibly to other local elections in 2005 and plan to continue to do so in 2006.

Vermont. Immigrants in Burlington explored the idea with legislators in 2005 and plan to continue to organize around the issue in 2006.

Colorado. Members of several Denver human rights groups -- as well as former legislators and aspiring public officials -- have discussed the prospects of a campaign for noncitizen voting rights.

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