Thread: Boston weighs giving legal, non-US citizens voting rights

Boston weighs giving legal, non-US citizens voting rights

The City Council is considering ways to make city elections more inclusive.

Andrea Campbell's order for a hearing says Boston has more than 190,000 foreign-born residents. –David L Ryan / Globe Staff

AP,
3:20 PM



BOSTON (AP) — Non-U.S. citizens living in the country legally may one day be allowed to vote in Boston elections.
The City Council is holding a hearing Tuesday on the idea at the request of Council President Andrea Campbell. The council is considering ways to make city elections more inclusive, including allowing immigrants with legal status in the country the right to vote in municipal races.
That could include legal permanent residents, visa holders and those on Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
Campbell’s order for a hearing says Boston has more than 190,000 foreign-born residents, which represents 28 percent of the city population. It also says non-U.S. citizens paid $116 million in state and local taxes and generated over $3.4 billion in spending according to a 2015 city report.

https://www.boston.com/news/local-ne...-voting-rights

This is completely outrageous. Why local communities are falling for this BS is beyond me. No one but US citizens should vote in any US election at any level of government. Period.

by Cassandra Fairbanks July 9, 2018

Boston is reportedly weighing giving non-U.S. citizens the right to vote.

The Boston Globe reports that City Council is holding a hearing on Tuesday to explore ways to “make city elections more inclusive” by “allowing immigrants with legal status in the country the right to vote in municipal races.”

In 2017, there were roughly 6,300 DACA recipients in Boston. If the city council allows the changes, they could be included in those who are granted voting rights — along with legal permanent residents and visa holders.

The changes would allow non-citizens to vote in local races such as mayor and city council, but they would still be unable to vote in federal or state elections.

According to Council President Andrea Campbell, who called for the hearing, Boston has 190,000 non-citizen residents, which represents 28 percent of the city population.

Hyde Park City Councilor Tim McCarthy has promised to push back against the effort.

“Voting is a U.S. citizen’s privilege, it’s the ultimate privilege,” McCarthy told the Boston Herald. “And I for one will continue to fight that it remains that way. … Voting for noncitizens is a step too far.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/201...voting-rights/

State And Local Elections

Most of the state and local level public officials in the U.S. are elected directly or indirectly. An election is the process by which people choose their representatives for governance. In the U.S., each state controls and regulates state and local elections. State law and state constitutions regulate elections at the state and local level. The state legislature controls state laws and state constitutions.

Every state is free to conduct its elections and limit its electorate. State legislatures and the executive are elected separately.

In all states, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected. Additionally, all members of the state legislatures are elected.

The legislative branches in local level, county, and city government are filled by election. Sheriffs and Mayors at the local level are also elected.

State laws regulating elections must not be in conflict with the Federal Constitution or the powers exercised by the national government. Moreover, the U.S. Constitution[i] prohibits states from enforcing laws which abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the U S. The Constitution specifically interdicts any denial or abridgement by a state of the right of citizens to vote on account of color.

The states are authorized by the Constitution to legislate on election issues to the extent that Congress has not restricted state action[ii].

Generally Congress has no power to regulate elections at the state or local level.

The Fifteenth Amendment has constituted the primary basis for congressional legislation and federal intervention with respect to state elections. Congressional legislation is restricted to the prevention by appropriate legislation of discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

The Fifteenth Amendment provides that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude[iii]. Unless the conduct complained of is not grounded on race, color or previous condition of servitude, Congress has no power under the Fifteenth Amendment to punish the intimidation of voters in state elections.

The right to vote in the states comes from the states[iv]. However, the right of exemption from the prohibited discrimination comes from the U S. The right to vote is not granted or secured by the Constitution of the U.S. The right of exemption from prohibited discrimination is secured by the Constitution.

Moreover, when federal and state candidates are together on the same ballot, Congress is entitled to regulate activities exposing the federal election to the possibility of corruption.

https://elections.uslegal.com/state-...cal-elections/

Incrementalism! It can be good and it can be bad. In this case, it is bad.

The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution states:

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.

This only applies to "citizens" of this country.

Unfortunately, as we move down the levels of government, they become more like private entities. Cities incorporate. Does that give them autonomy to elect officials like a private corporation where officers can be foreign citizens?

I suspect this will become a court issue.

Chicago Dilutes Right to Vote by Designating Illegal Alien ID Card as a Registration Document

New bill could give illegal aliens voting rights in New York City

New York state election law prohibits immigrants from voting, but supporters say the city has the right to set its own policies for local elections.


Noncitizens To Vote In New York City? Bill Would Allow Immigrants To Vote in Local Elections