I have written several postings related to Various topics involving elections and voting in America. A list of links have been provided at bottom of this article for your convenience. This article will, however address additional issues in these topics.
In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed a law prohibiting noncitizens from voting in federal elections, including elections for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and presidential elections. This does not apply to elections at the state and local levels.
No state constitutions explicitly allowed noncitizens to vote in state or local elections. As of June 2023, seven states specified that noncitizens may not vote in state and local elections: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Ohio.
The District of Columbia and municipalities in three states allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections as of June 2023: California, Maryland, and Vermont.
According to the Pew Research Center, there were over 25 million noncitizens living in the U.S. as of 2020. That included approximately 12 million permanent residents and 2 million temporary residents who were in the country with legal permission, as well as approximately 11 million immigrants who resided in the country without legal permission.
Whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote is a subject of debate.
Federal law states that it is unlawful for a noncitizen to vote in federal elections and establishes the punishment of a fine, one year in prison, or both for violation of the law. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 states the following:
| “ | (a) It shall be unlawful for any alien to vote in any election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, unless—(1) the election is held partly for some other purpose;(2) aliens are authorized to vote for such other purpose under a State constitution or statute or a local ordinance; and(3) voting for such other purpose is conducted independently of voting for a candidate for such Federal offices, in such a manner that an alien has the opportunity to vote for such other purpose, but not an opportunity to vote for a candidate for any one or more of such Federal offices.(b) Any person who violates this section shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than one year, or both. | ” |
The law includes the following exceptions:
| “ | (c) Subsection (a) does not apply to an alien if—(1) each natural parent of the alien (or, in the case of an adopted alien, each adoptive parent of the alien) is or was a citizen (whether by birth or naturalization);(2) the alien permanently resided in the United States prior to attaining the age of 16; and(3) the alien reasonably believed at the time of voting in violation of such subsection that he or she was a citizen of the United States. | ” |
Federal law also states that noncitizens who violate the law are inadmissible (ineligible to receive visas and ineligible to be admitted to the U.S.) and deportable.
All state constitutions mention United States citizenship when discussing who can vote in that state’s elections. In 46 states, constitutional language discussing citizenship says who can vote (e.g. “every citizen” or “all citizens”), but does not state that noncitizens cannot vote. In Arizona, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Ohio, the state constitutions provide that citizens, but not noncitizens, have the right to vote.
The following table lists what each state’s constitution says regarding citizenship and the right to vote.
Constitutional language regarding citizenship and voting rights
| State | Constitutional language |
|---|---|
| Alaska | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Alabama | Only a citizen of the United States… |
| Arkansas | …any person may vote in an election in this state who is a citizen of the United States… |
| Arizona | No person shall be entitled to vote… unless such person be a citizen of the United States… |
| California | A United States citizen 18 years of age and resident in this State may vote. |
| Colorado | Only a citizen of the United States… |
| Connecticut | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Washington, D.C. | N/A |
| Delaware | Every citizen of this State… |
| Florida | Only a citizen of the United States… |
| Georgia | Every person who is a citizen of the United States… |
| Hawaii | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Iowa | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Idaho | Every male or female citizen of the United States… |
| Illinois | Every United States citizen… |
| State | Constitutional language |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Subject to such exceptions as the Legislature may prescribe, all citizens of the United States… |
| Ohio | Only a citizen of the United States… |
| North Dakota | Only a citizen of the United States… |
| North Carolina | Every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized… |
| New York | Every citizen shall be entitled to vote at every election… |
| New Mexico | Every person who is a qualified elector pursuant to the constitution and laws of the United States and a citizen thereof… |
| New Jersey | Every citizen of the United States… |
| New Hampshire | All elections are to be free, and every inhabitant of the state of 18 years of age and upwards shall have an equal right to vote in any election. |
| Nevada | All citizens of the United States… |
| Nebraska | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Montana | Any citizen of the United States… |
| Missouri | All citizens of the United States… |
| Mississippi | Every inhabitant of this state, except idiots and insane persons, who is a citizen of the United States of America… |
| Minnesota | Every person 18 years of age or more who has been a citizen of the United States for three months… |
| Michigan | Every citizen of the United States… |
| State | Constitutional language |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Every citizen… |
| Maryland | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Maine | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Louisiana | Every person who is both a citizen of the state and of the United States… |
| Kentucky | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Kansas | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Iowa | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Indiana | A citizen of the United States…. |
| Illinois | Every United States citizen… |
| Idaho | Every male or female citizen of the United States… |
| Hawaii | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Georgia | Every person who is a citizen of the United States… |
| Florida | Only a citizen of the United States… |
| Delaware | Every citizen of this State… |
| Connecticut | Every citizen of the United States… |
| State | Constitutional language |
|---|---|
| Colorado | Only a citizen of the United States… |
| California | A United States citizen 18 years of age and resident in this State may vote. |
| Arkansas | …any person may vote in an election in this state who is a citizen of the United States… |
| Arizona | No person shall be entitled to vote… unless such person be a citizen of the United States… |
| Alaska | Every citizen of the United States… |
| Alabama | Only a citizen of the United States… |
Noncitizen suffrage in local elections
As of June 2023, the District of Columbia and municipalities in three states allowed noncitizens to vote in some or all local elections: California, Maryland, and Vermont.
Joshua A. Douglas, associate professor of law at the University of Kentucky College of Law, published an article in 2017 stating, “Municipalities can expand voting rights in local elections if there are no explicit state constitutional or legislative impediments and so long as local jurisdictions have the power of home rule.” Some states, for example, require that changes to local charters get approval from state legislatures, thereby limiting municipal authority over voter eligibility laws, whereas other states do not.
Douglas identified 14 states—including California and Maryland—as posing no clear impediments to municipalities passing their own voter qualification laws:
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Washington
- Wisconsin
The following localities allow noncitizen voting in some or all local elections.
California
Oakland
In 2022, voters in Oakland approved a charter amendment that read, “Shall the measure to amend the City Charter to allow the City Council by adopting an ordinance, to authorize voting by noncitizen residents, who are the parents, legal guardians, or legally recognized caregivers of a child, for the Office of Oakland School Board Director if they are otherwise eligible to vote under state and local law be adopted?”
The amendment was approved with 67% support. The law took effect in 2023.
San Francisco
In 2016, voters in San Francisco approved a charter amendment that read, “Shall the City allow a non-citizen resident of San Francisco who is of legal voting age and the parent, legal guardian or legally recognized caregiver of a child living in the San Francisco Unified School District to vote for members of the Board of Education?”
The amendment was approved with 54% support. The law took effect in 2018.
In July 2022, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard B. Ulmer, Jr. ruled that the law violated the California Constitution. Ulmer ruled that “[t]ranscendent law of California, the Constitution … reserves the right to vote to a United States citizen, contrary to (the) San Francisco ordinance.”
District of Columbia
The District of Columbia Council passed the D.C. Noncitizen Vote Act in October 2022, allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections. Due to the District’s non-state status, all of its legislation must be reviewed by Congress prior to adoption. The D.C. Noncitizen Vote Act overcame bipartisan opposition in the U.S. House of Representatives and passed its congressional review in March 2023.
Advocates of the law argued that noncitizens have an interest in schools, public safety and other issues, and should therefore be allowed to weigh in on public policy decisions. Opponents argue that noncitizens do not have a fundamental right to vote or hold public office in the U.S. and that the legislation dilutes the voting power of U.S. citizens.
In March 2023, a group of seven D.C. voters filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court seeking an injunction to prevent the law from being enforced. The case has been moved to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the litigation is ongoing as of June 2023.
Maryland
Maryland’s state constitution specifies that “every citizen of the United States, of the age of 18 years or upwards, who is a resident of the State as of the time for the closing of registration next preceding the election, shall be entitled to vote in the ward or election district in which the citizen resides at all elections to be held in this State.”[11] The state constitution gives municipalities the authority to allow people outside those qualifications to vote without requiring state approval of such changes.
The following Maryland municipalities allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections as of June 2023.
Barnesville
The Barnesville town charter defines qualified voters as “having resided therein for six months previous to any town election and being eighteen years of age.”
Cheverly
Any person over the age of 18 who has been a resident of Cheverly for at least 30 days at the time of the election and has not been convicted of a crime is eligible to register to vote in town elections.
Chevy Chase Section 3
The charter of Chevy Chase Section 3 reads, “‘Qualified Voter’ shall mean any person who is a resident of Chevy Chase Section 3, without regard to citizenship, and is at least eighteen (18) years of age.”
Garrett Park
The Garrett Park town charter reads, “The town manager shall provide for the registration of voters in a flexible and available manner in order to encourage registration and voting, consistent with the policies adopted by ordinance and the rules and procedures specified by the election judges. Qualified persons may register by universal registration with either Montgomery County or the town, or may register only with the town, including residents who are not citizens of the United States, up to and including election day.”
Glen Echo
Glen Echo’s town charter says the following: “Any person who is not a United States citizen, and (a) is a resident of the Town of Glen Echo, (b) is a lawful resident of the United States, and (c) except for the United States citizenship requirement, meets the voter qualifications provided in Section 501(a) may register to vote in Town elections.”
Hyattsville
The Hyattsville town website states, “Hyattsville residents who are not U.S. citizens, or do not wish to register with the State, may use the Hyattsville City Voter Registration Form.”
Martin’s Additions
The Martin’s Additions town charter says, “‘Qualified Voter’ is any person who owns property or any resident of Martin’s Additions who is eighteen (18) years of age or over.”
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier’s city charter states that any person who has been a city resident for 30 days or more at the time of a local election, is at least 18 years old, has not been convicted of a felony offense or of buying and selling votes, and is not under mental guardianship may register to vote.
Riverdale Park
Riverdale Park’s town charter states, “(a) Every resident of the town who (1) has the Town of Riverdale Park as his or her primary residence, (2) is at least sixteen (16) years of age, (3) has resided within the corporate limits of the town for at least forty-five (45) days immediately preceding any nonrunoff town election, (4) does not claim the right to vote elsewhere in the United States, (5) has not been found by a court to be unable to communicate a desire to vote, and (6) is registered to vote in accordance with the provisions of § 503 of this charter shall be a qualified voter of the Town.”
Somerset
The Somerset town charter says, “Every person who (1) is at least eighteen years of age, (2) has resided within the corporate limits of the town for fourteen days next preceding any election, and (3) is registered in accordance with the provisions of this Charter, shall be a qualified voter of the town. Every qualified voter of the town shall be entitled to vote at any or all town elections.”
Takoma Park
The Takoma Park city website states, “City residents who are not citizens of the United States can register to vote in Takoma Park elections by completing the Takoma Park Voter Registration Application.”
Vermont
The following Vermont municipalities allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections as of October 2023.
Burlington
On March 9, 2023, the city of Burlington approved a charter amendment extending the right to vote to its noncitizen residents. Although Governor Phil Scott vetoed the legislation, both chambers of the state legislature voted to override that veto on June 30. The law took immediate effect.
Montpelier
On June 24, 2021, H177 was enacted into law, approving a Montpelier city charter amendment authorizing legal residents to vote in city elections. Although Governor Phil Scott vetoed the legislation, both chambers of the state legislature voted to override that veto. The law took immediate effect.
Winooski
On June 24, 2021, H 227 was enacted into law, approving a Winooski city charter amendment authorizing legal residents to vote in city and school district elections. Although Governor Phil Scott vetoed the legislation, both chambers of the state legislature voted to override that veto. The law took immediate effect.
Noncitizen voting declared unconstitutional in New York (2022)
On December 9, 2021, the New York City Council approved Int. 1867-2020, which extended the right to vote in municipal elections to lawful permanent residents and other non-citizens authorized to work in the United States. The council voted 33-14 in favor of the legislation, making New York City the largest city in the nation at the time to authorize voting by non-citizens.
Mayor Eric Adams (D) allowed the legislation to become law without his signature on January 9, 2022, saying, “I believe that New Yorkers should have a say in their government, which is why I have and will continue to support this important legislation. … I look forward to bringing millions more into the democratic process.”
A group of Republican voters and officials representing the New York Republican State Committee and Republican National Committee, as well as a Democratic city council member, filed a lawsuit on January 10, 2023, challenging the new law. The plaintiffs alleged that allowing over 800,000 eligible noncitizens to vote in municipal elections when New York City has approximately five million registered voters would dilute the power of the votes of legitimate U.S. citizens.
On June 27, 2022, the New York State Supreme Court for Staten Island overturned the law, ruling that it violated the state’s constitution. According to Judge Ralph Porzio, “by not expressly including non-citizens in the New York State Constitution, it was the intent of the framers for non-citizens to be omitted.” The judge quoted Article 2.1 and Article 2.5 of the state’s constitution in his judgment:
The Supreme Court of the State of New York includes 62 separate courts—one for each county. These courts are the highest trial courts in the state but they are not New York’s courts of last resort. The Court of Appeals is the highest court and court of last resort in New York.
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Ballotpedia’s Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that’s just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia’s election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it’s from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
Driver’s licenses and IDs don’t allow undocumented immigrants to vote in federal elections
Several VERIFY readers asked if undocumented immigrants receive ID cards or driver’s licenses, and whether they can vote as a result. Here’s what we found.
Recent social media posts and news reports claim President Joe Biden’s administration will provide photo ID cards to undocumented immigrants.
One of the posts implied these ID cards would allow them to vote in federal elections.
Several VERIFY readers have also emailed us in recent weeks wondering if undocumented immigrants receive ID cards or driver’s licenses, and whether they can vote in U.S. elections as a result.
THE ANSWER
No, IDs or driver’s licenses do not allow undocumented immigrants to vote in federal elections.
WHAT WE FOUND
THE QUESTION
Does having an ID or driver’s license allow undocumented immigrants to vote in federal elections?
Federal law does not allow noncitizens to vote in federal elections, regardless of whether they have an ID or driver’s license.
In 1996, Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. That law made it a crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections for president, vice president and members of Congress.
USA.gov, the federal government’s official web portal, also says noncitizens cannot vote in federal, state and most local elections.
Many states have laws requiring people to show some form of identification at the polls. But having an ID or driver’s license doesn’t allow a person to vote in federal elections if they are not a U.S. citizen.
The recent confusion online can be traced back to a proposed government ID card program for noncitizens.
A July 2022 report on the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill says the bill included $10 million in proposed funding for an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Secure Docket Card program. The program would “allow noncitizens access to immigration files and documents,” the report says.
It’s not clear where the program stands right now. ICE did not respond to VERIFY’s request for comment, but an agency spokesperson told Reuters in August 2022 that the ID card “will not be an official form of federal identification.” The card could be used to help noncitizens keep track of pending immigration cases.
As for driver’s licenses, 19 states and the District of Columbia allow undocumented immigrants to apply for them, according to the National Immigration Law Center and National Conference of State Legislatures.
States can choose who is allowed to get a driver’s license since there are no federal rules on issuing them.
But those driver’s licenses do not grant a person citizenship or the right to vote in federal elections, either. Some of the state laws even make it clear that the licenses alone cannot be used for voting, or that they are not valid or accepted for “official federal purposes.”
The process for undocumented immigrants to get a driver’s license varies by state, and can take months or even years. Undocumented immigrants generally need to provide a foreign birth certificate, foreign passport or consular card as well as evidence of current state residency, the NCSL says.
So, we can VERIFY that having an ID or driver’s license does not allow undocumented immigrants to vote in federal elections.
Who can and cannot vote
Who can vote?
You can vote in U.S. federal, state, and local elections if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen (some areas allow non-citizens to vote in local elections only)
- Meet your state’s residency requirements
- You can be experiencing homelessness and still meet these requirements.
- Are 18 years old on or before Election Day
- In almost every state, you can register to vote before you turn 18 if you will be 18 by Election Day.
- Are registered to vote by your state’s voter registration deadline. North Dakota does not require voter registration.
Who cannot vote?
- Non-citizens, including permanent legal residents, cannot vote in federal, state, and most local elections.
- Some people cannot vote after being convicted of a felony or if they are currently serving time for other types of crimes. Rules are different in each state. Check this guide from the Department of Justice to understand the laws in your state.
- Some people who have a mental disability may not be able to vote.Learn about your voting rights. Rules vary by state.
- U.S. citizens residing in U.S. territories cannot vote for president in the general election.
Can noncitizens vote in US elections?
Can noncitizens vote in U.S. elections?
Federal law bans noncitizens from voting in federal elections, including races for president, vice president, Senate or House of Representatives.
The 1996 law states that noncitizens who vote illegally will face a fine, imprisonment or both. Noncitizens who cast a ballot and get caught may also face deportation.
When people in the U.S. register to vote, they confirm under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. Several states also verify that registration against federal and state databases.
Some politicians and pundits have raised alarm that noncitizens could be voting illegally in high numbers. Studies show this isn’t happening, according to Ron Hayduk, a political science professor at San Francisco State University who studies noncitizen voting laws.
While there have been anecdotal reports of noncitizens registering and casting ballots, “the incidence of such occurrences is infinitesimal,” Hayduk said.
Research by the Brennan Center for Justice in 2017 looked at 42 jurisdictions in the 2016 election, and reported that of 23.5 million votes cast, election officials only found about 30 cases of potential noncitizen voting that they referred for prosecution or further investigation.
More recent investigations also haven’t shown proof of widespread noncitizen voting. A Georgia audit of its voter rolls conducted this year found fewer than 2,000 instances of noncitizens attempting to register to vote over the last 25 years, none of which succeeded. Millions of new Georgia voters registered during that time period.
Federal law doesn’t stop states or municipalities from granting noncitizens the right to vote in local races — and a handful have, including 11 towns in Maryland and two in Vermont. New York City this year passed a law that would allow legally documented noncitizens and “Dreamers” to vote for mayor and other elected officials, but a judge blocked the move in June.
Republicans Voice Outrage Over Non-Citizen Voting Bill
Connecticut state Rep. Juan Candelaria has proposed a bill that would allow non-citizens the right to vote in state and municipal elections. But he knows it is unlikely to pass and just hopes it opens a discussion.
A state representative has introduced a proposal for an amendment to the Connecticut Constitution that would grant non-citizens the right to vote in state and municipal elections — he knows it will fail.
For Rep. Juan Candelaria of New Haven, the purpose of the proposal is not to have it pass, but to lay the groundwork for future policy in a state that is home to 240,000 non-citizen immigrants, approximately half of which are undocumented.
More than a dozen localities in the United States have passed laws allowing non-citizen electors in municipal or school board elections in a growing suffrage movement that has faced fierce criticism from opponents.
While state lawmakers have expanded protections and privileges for Connecticut’s immigrants, the last big discussion on non-citizen voting occurred in 2011, when former New Haven Mayor John DeStefano attempted to lobby the legislature to let undocumented immigrants vote in city elections.
Candelaria is ready to reignite the debate.
“When we talk about undocumented individuals, they are part of our fabric of this nation and of the state. … They’re part of the community and they should have a voice,” Candelaria said. “People might not be amicable to this idea, and I respect that opinion, but at least by having the process, we can have the dialogue and we can have the debate. And that’s all I want.”
In its current rough draft, the proposed amendment would “allow undocumented immigrants who are residents of the state to be admitted as electors for purposes of voting in municipal and state elections,” but Candelaria said that the policy would extend to visa-holders and lawful permanent residents. Candelaria said the completed proposal will stipulate a list of requirements including the minimum number of years a person must live in the state in order to qualify as well as bars on those with a criminal record.
Candelaria acknowledged that the idea of non-citizen suffrage faces opposition from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, but he hopes his proposal will at least lead to an open debate in a public hearing.
“If I can get all the way to the floor of the House, that’ll be the ultimate goal for me. But it’s not going to happen,” Candelaria said.
The survival time of the proposed amendment will depend on how it is handled in the General Assembly’s Government Administration and Elections Committee where legislators will first vote on whether to raise the bill for discussion.
House Minority Leader Rep. Vincent Candelora is of the mind that the proposal should not make it to the stage of a public hearing.
“I think it’s completely outrageous. I think that the fact that we have open borders and now we are potentially opening up elections to non-citizens completely erodes our sovereignty in this country and in our state,” Candelora said. “I don’t think that we should be redefining who an elector is at the municipal or statewide level for the purposes of electing our public officials.”
State Rep. Matt Blumenthal, chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, said that the committee has yet to screen new proposals and that he could not comment on Candelaria’s proposed constitutional amendment. He also declined to share his thoughts on non-citizen voting.
“Our colleagues in the General Assembly have proposed roughly 150 ideas for bills to be handled by our committee,” Blumenthal said. “My co-chair [Sen. Mae Flexer] and I look forward to reviewing them all and discussing whether they should go forward in the committee.”
Even if the proposal makes it out of committee, and is approved by the General Assembly, it would take years — with many opportunities for failure — before becoming policy.
In order to amend Connecticut’s Constitution, three-fourths of representatives from the House and the Senate would need to approve the resolution before appearing on voters’ ballots for final passage in the next regular state election.
Another path toward amendment occurs if a simple majority of state senators and representatives pass the resolution. In that scenario, the proposed amendment would undergo a second vote by legislators during the following year’s session, and if that reaches a simple majority, the proposal will appear on the general election ballot.
Candelaria is optimistic that once the conversation starts, non-citizen voters will become a reality for Connecticut within the next decade.
“If we get members to agree that it makes sense for them [and] for the communities, hopefully I can see this happening in the next couple of years,” Candeleria said. “That’s my wishful thinking, but at least let’s begin the process of having a dialogue.”
Non-Citizen Voting a Historical Norm
Non-citizen suffrage is not so much a new idea as it is a historical norm.
Thirty-nine U.S. states permitted “Alien Suffrage” for local, state and federal elections between 1776 and 1926. High demand for labor from an immigrant workforce kept the practice strong until the turn of the 20th century when nativist sentiments and anti-immigrant fears spurred by World War One finally won over.
Connecticut however outlawed non-citizen electors with the passage of the state’s first constitution in 1818, granting the right only to “white male citizen[s] of the United States.”
The U.S. government did not explicitly prohibit non-citizen voters in federal elections until the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
“Citizenship as a requirement for voting, historically hasn’t been the norm in the U.S.” Roger Senserrich, the communications director of the Connecticut Working Families Party said.
Senserrich said that the WFP is a strong supporter of allowing non-citizens to vote in municipal elections, adding that it is one of the questions the party asks candidates before giving them an endorsement.
Currently, 11 municipalities in Maryland, and two Vermont cities permit non-citizen voters in local elections. In 2021, New York City passed a law allowing non-citizen voters on the local-level, but the policy was struck down by a judge last June before it could take effect.
Other cities, like Oakland, California, allow non-citizen parents of school children to vote for School Board Director. Several other non-citizen suffrage proposals are cropping up in towns across the country.
Sensirrich thinks Connecticut should join the list.
“We are a state that has always been very proud of our diversity and we have this strong tradition of a very strong local self rule. Considering that quite a few of our cities and towns have big immigrant populations, they should have a say,” Sensirrich said. “If we value local self-government, we should value local self-government by everyone that lives in that town, not just the few.”
Rights and protections for undocumented immigrants have been growing in Connecticut. Over the last decade, the legislature has passed more than a dozen laws benefiting undocumented immigrants.
Some of the most notable include the issuance of drive-only licenses in 2013, granting eligibility for financial aid at the state’s public higher education institutions in 2018, and most recently, extending Connecticut’s HUSKY Medicaid program to all children under age 12.
Constanza Segovia is community organizer at the immigrant-led mutual aid group Hartford Deportation Defense, one of the many organizations leading the fight to expand HUSKY to all residents, regardless of age or immigration status.
Segovia said that granting non-citizens the right to vote is important, but says undocumented immigrants have taken up other tools to gain a political voice.
“Voting is one of the big ways that we become civically engaged, but that’s not the only way,” Segovia said. “Our communities are already engaged with our leaders. With the ‘Husky 4 Immigrants’ campaign right now, we’re at the Capitol, we’re talking to legislators, we’re talking to legislators about our communities and the needs [of not] just the immigrant communities that we belong to, but also our Hartford community, our Hartford neighborhoods, our Hartford schools. Voting is just one aspect of civic engagement. I think having access to vote would give us another tool.”
Segovia said that the inability to be engaged in the voting process has been a huge “disparity” for her community and “a missing piece in our current democratic system.”
She said that it’s time for the public to redefine what it means to be a citizen.
“We’re all next door to each other, we’re all going to the same schools, we’re going to the same hospital, so how are we going to look beyond some of these barriers and actually come up with some solutions so that everybody has access to fair wages, good education, good housing, basic health care?” Segovia said. “When we talk about being citizens of the world and being citizens of the community that we live in … that includes everybody who lives in this community and has a stake in this community. And I wish that we get to a point with our government where people can be treated as such.”
As for whether she thinks Connecticut will ever grant non-citizens the right to vote, Segovia said, “You have to start the conversation to know whether it’s possible.”
Resources
ballotpedia.org/Laws_permitting_noncitizens_to_vote_in_the_United_States, “Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States.”; verifythis.com, “Driver’s licenses and IDs don’t allow undocumented immigrants to vote in federal elections.” By Megan Loe, Brandon Lewis; usa.gov/who-can-vote, “Who can and cannot vote.”; apnews.com, “Can noncitizens vote in US elections?” By Ali Swenson; governing.com, “Republicans Voice Outrage Over Non-Citizen Voting Bill.” By Alison Cross;
Voting and Elections
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2024/09/27/how-soros-backed-organizations-leverage-waves-of-new-immigrants-to-sway-elections/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2024/09/10/how-zuckerberg-influenced-the-2020-election/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2024/02/20/will-illegal-aliens-be-allowed-to-vote-in-2024/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2021/03/16/election-reform/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2021/03/16/voter-fraud-in-2020-revisited/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2023/08/02/2020-got-you-crying-think-again-the-1876-election-was-worse/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2021/05/03/voter-reform-my-final-words/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2020/12/25/navarro-2020-election-report-examined/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2021/01/01/did-brad-parscale-almost-bankrupt-the-trump-2020-election/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2022/12/16/why-the-red-wave-never-happened/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2020/11/27/dominion-voting-system-exposed/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2020/11/13/voter-fraud-in-2020-how-will-effect-future-elections/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2020/10/22/campaign-funding-disparity-between-democrats-and-republicans/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2020/09/27/voter-fraud-with-mail-in-ballots-fact-or-fiction/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2021/07/20/can-we-win-it-all-back/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2020/09/26/polls-how-accurate-are-they/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2020/08/06/voting-in-november/
https://common-sense-in-america.com/2020/06/06/voting-in-america-in-the-era-of-the-pandemic/