Proposal to grant voting rights to non-US citizens

... Brookline Massachusetts. Figures. :doubt:

Brookline — Brookline legal residents who aren’t U.S. citizens could secure the right to vote in local elections, if Town Meeting members and state lawmakers back a proposal filed by the town’s school committee chairwoman.

Rebecca Stone, a Town Meeting member from Precinct 3 and chairwoman of the School Committee, said the proposal is a “positive way” to push back against anti-immigrant attitudes at the state and national level.

“Rather than simply condemning what we don’t like and saying this is a terrible thing, maybe there is something we can do in Brookline that [shows] we have a different attitude toward immigrants,” said Stone.

Proposal would allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in Brookline local elections - Brookline, Massachusetts - Brookline TAB


Is this even constitutional?

wow! apparently, it is not unconstitutional, on the federal level?

The Right To Vote

The Constitution contains many phrases, clauses, and amendments detailing ways people cannot be denied the right to vote. You cannot deny the right to vote because of race or gender. Citizens of Washington DC can vote for President; 18-year-olds can vote; you can vote even if you fail to pay a poll tax. The Constitution also requires that anyone who can vote for the "most numerous branch" of their state legislature can vote for House members and Senate members.

Note that in all of this, though, the Constitution never explicitly ensures the right to vote, as it does the right to speech, for example. It does require that Representatives be chosen and Senators be elected by "the People," and who comprises "the People" has been expanded by the aforementioned amendments several times. Aside from these requirements, though, the qualifications for voters are left to the states. And as long as the qualifications do not conflict with anything in the Constitution, that right can be withheld. For example, in Texas, persons declared mentally incompetent and felons currently in prison or on probation are denied the right to vote. It is interesting to note that though the 26th Amendment requires that 18-year-olds must be able to vote, states can allow persons younger than 18 to vote, if they chose to.
Thanks to Roy Neale for the idea and to Brian Shaprio for some clarifications.

Things That Are Not In the U.S. Constitution - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net

unless the state of massachusett's constitution prohibits it....?
 

wow! apparently, it is not unconstitutional, on the federal level?

The Right To Vote

The Constitution contains many phrases, clauses, and amendments detailing ways people cannot be denied the right to vote. You cannot deny the right to vote because of race or gender. Citizens of Washington DC can vote for President; 18-year-olds can vote; you can vote even if you fail to pay a poll tax. The Constitution also requires that anyone who can vote for the "most numerous branch" of their state legislature can vote for House members and Senate members.

Note that in all of this, though, the Constitution never explicitly ensures the right to vote, as it does the right to speech, for example. It does require that Representatives be chosen and Senators be elected by "the People," and who comprises "the People" has been expanded by the aforementioned amendments several times. Aside from these requirements, though, the qualifications for voters are left to the states. And as long as the qualifications do not conflict with anything in the Constitution, that right can be withheld. For example, in Texas, persons declared mentally incompetent and felons currently in prison or on probation are denied the right to vote. It is interesting to note that though the 26th Amendment requires that 18-year-olds must be able to vote, states can allow persons younger than 18 to vote, if they chose to.
Thanks to Roy Neale for the idea and to Brian Shaprio for some clarifications.

Things That Are Not In the U.S. Constitution - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net

unless the state of massachusett's constitution prohibits it....?




The article says legal residents and local elections.




Brookline legal residents who aren’t U.S. citizens could secure the right to vote in local elections
 
Is this even constitutional?

wow! apparently, it is not unconstitutional, on the federal level?

The Right To Vote

The Constitution contains many phrases, clauses, and amendments detailing ways people cannot be denied the right to vote. You cannot deny the right to vote because of race or gender. Citizens of Washington DC can vote for President; 18-year-olds can vote; you can vote even if you fail to pay a poll tax. The Constitution also requires that anyone who can vote for the "most numerous branch" of their state legislature can vote for House members and Senate members.

Note that in all of this, though, the Constitution never explicitly ensures the right to vote, as it does the right to speech, for example. It does require that Representatives be chosen and Senators be elected by "the People," and who comprises "the People" has been expanded by the aforementioned amendments several times. Aside from these requirements, though, the qualifications for voters are left to the states. And as long as the qualifications do not conflict with anything in the Constitution, that right can be withheld. For example, in Texas, persons declared mentally incompetent and felons currently in prison or on probation are denied the right to vote. It is interesting to note that though the 26th Amendment requires that 18-year-olds must be able to vote, states can allow persons younger than 18 to vote, if they chose to.
Thanks to Roy Neale for the idea and to Brian Shaprio for some clarifications.

Things That Are Not In the U.S. Constitution - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net

unless the state of massachusett's constitution prohibits it....?




The article says legal residents and local elections.




Brookline legal residents who aren’t U.S. citizens could secure the right to vote in local elections

Yes, I saw that Val....But I still had to double check the UsConstitution because quite frankly, I could not remember what it said on the topic....and whether anything in the US Constitution prohibited such, even in local elections...and I am not certain if there is anything in the State of Massachusett's Constitution that prevented it for localities as well? Probably not, or Brookline would not be offering it up.

I am uncertain how I feel about it? ''No taxation without representation'' keeps ringing in my head....and the Lord knows Brookline ain't no slum, but quite the opposite and an uppity up area if memory serves me so the legal immigrants living there are not living off of welfare, that's pretty certain, and they are probably paying property taxes through the roof etc, whether the tax itself or the high property taxes incorporated in to their high rents, their kids are going to our schools, the fire dept and police and public buses etc probably ALL affect their lives.....and they ARE here legally...living here legally....

I think I am leaning towards not having a problem with it....as long as the citizens within the town don't have a problem with it.
 
The article says legal residents and local elections.




Brookline legal residents who aren’t U.S. citizens could secure the right to vote in local elections

And...?

They still should'nt be voting!!!! I dont give a rats ass where they come from... if they are here illegally.... throw em out on their asses!


If they are waiting for their citizenship to be legalized... then do just that .... WAIT, then vote... I had to wait till I was 18. They can wait too.
 
Last edited:
The word "illegal" conveniently omitted
:cuckoo:

Omitted because it wasn't referring to illegal immigrants perhaps?:eusa_whistle:

BS


Thats exactly who they are reffering to.

no it isn't, the bill is specifically for LEGAL immigrants in their town only, for local issues affecting them, only.

The poster Toro, as an example....he is here working, paying a mortgage, living here legally, from canada, a very astute and knowledgeable person regarding our gvt here and politics in general....if i lived in brookline and he did as well, i would want him to be a part of my community, and have a say thru his vote....

of course....not all legal immigrants are as politically astute as him, so thus the quagmire in coming to a final opinion on this, by me.....but if it were for someone like Toro, i really would not mind.....and if i were living in canada, i would want the ability to vote in the town i was living.... on issues that affected me and my family.
 
The word "illegal" conveniently omitted
:cuckoo:

Omitted because it wasn't referring to illegal immigrants perhaps?:eusa_whistle:

BS


Thats exactly who they are reffering to.
Learn how to read, slick.:lol:

... Brookline Massachusetts. Figures. :doubt:

Brookline — Brookline legal residents who aren’t U.S. citizens could secure the right to vote in local elections, if Town Meeting members and state lawmakers back a proposal filed by the town’s school committee chairwoman.

Rebecca Stone, a Town Meeting member from Precinct 3 and chairwoman of the School Committee, said the proposal is a “positive way” to push back against anti-immigrant attitudes at the state and national level.

“Rather than simply condemning what we don’t like and saying this is a terrible thing, maybe there is something we can do in Brookline that [shows] we have a different attitude toward immigrants,” said Stone.

Proposal would allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in Brookline local elections - Brookline, Massachusetts - Brookline TAB
 
Last edited:
Article IX. All elections ought to be free; and all the inhabitants of this commonwealth, having such qualifications as they shall establish by their frame of government, have an equal right to elect officers, and to be elected, for public employments. [See Amendments, Arts. XLV and XLVIII, The Initiative, sec. 2.] [For compulsory voting, see Amendments, Art. LXI.] [For use of voting machines at elections, see Amendments, Art. XXXVIII.] [For absent voting, see Amendments, Art. LXXVI.]

Massachusetts Constitution
 
There was a push a few years ago in NJ to allow non-residents vote in local elections. Many shore property owners don't live here year round. That went no where.

There should be consistency in all areas in my opinion. How confusing would it be to allow people to vote in only certain elections?
 
Is this even constitutional?

wow! apparently, it is not unconstitutional, on the federal level?

The Right To Vote

The Constitution contains many phrases, clauses, and amendments detailing ways people cannot be denied the right to vote. You cannot deny the right to vote because of race or gender. Citizens of Washington DC can vote for President; 18-year-olds can vote; you can vote even if you fail to pay a poll tax. The Constitution also requires that anyone who can vote for the "most numerous branch" of their state legislature can vote for House members and Senate members.

Note that in all of this, though, the Constitution never explicitly ensures the right to vote, as it does the right to speech, for example. It does require that Representatives be chosen and Senators be elected by "the People," and who comprises "the People" has been expanded by the aforementioned amendments several times. Aside from these requirements, though, the qualifications for voters are left to the states. And as long as the qualifications do not conflict with anything in the Constitution, that right can be withheld. For example, in Texas, persons declared mentally incompetent and felons currently in prison or on probation are denied the right to vote. It is interesting to note that though the 26th Amendment requires that 18-year-olds must be able to vote, states can allow persons younger than 18 to vote, if they chose to.
Thanks to Roy Neale for the idea and to Brian Shaprio for some clarifications.

Things That Are Not In the U.S. Constitution - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net

unless the state of massachusett's constitution prohibits it....?




The article says legal residents and local elections.




Brookline legal residents who aren’t U.S. citizens could secure the right to vote in local elections

Even if it is for 'legal' visitors who are not citizens.. this proposal is just flat out and unequivocally WRONG

People proposing such bullshit need serious mental help and should be committed
 
One interesting thing that I found out thru my research on who can vote according to the constitution is that any state can choose the age of voters allowed to vote....the constitution says that at 18 all states must allow people to vote, but it does not prohibited a state from making this age 16 or 17.....
 
wow! apparently, it is not unconstitutional, on the federal level?



unless the state of massachusett's constitution prohibits it....?




The article says legal residents and local elections.




Brookline legal residents who aren’t U.S. citizens could secure the right to vote in local elections

Even if it is for 'legal' visitors who are not citizens.. this proposal is just flat out and unequivocally WRONG

People proposing such bullshit need serious mental help and should be committed

not that I vehemently disagree with your position on this, because it is an understandable opinion, but the article DOES NOT STATE legal visitors as you state in your comment, it states legal residents, and there is a defined "legal" difference between an immigrant that is here legally visiting verses a legal immigrant that is here as a legal resident.

And as stated in our US Constitution, who gets to vote, is up to the States, as long as they stay within the realm of our constitution.
 
Why not just let those third graders vote? The first thing they should vote on is Rebecca Stone's school board seat. I'm guessing third graders are smart enough to kick her out.
 
One interesting thing that I found out thru my research on who can vote according to the constitution is that any state can choose the age of voters allowed to vote....the constitution says that at 18 all states must allow people to vote, but it does not prohibited a state from making this age 16 or 17.....

And I agree that states should be responsible for their voting laws and procedures... but I do not agree any state should let non-citizens vote... whether or not they are legal or illegal visitors makes no difference, IMHO
 
The article says legal residents and local elections.




Brookline legal residents who aren’t U.S. citizens could secure the right to vote in local elections

Even if it is for 'legal' visitors who are not citizens.. this proposal is just flat out and unequivocally WRONG

People proposing such bullshit need serious mental help and should be committed

not that I vehemently disagree with your position on this, because it is an understandable opinion, but the article DOES NOT STATE legal visitors as you state in your comment, it states legal residents, and there is a defined "legal" difference between an immigrant that is here legally visiting verses a legal immigrant that is here as a legal resident.

And as stated in our US Constitution, who gets to vote, is up to the States, as long as they stay within the realm of our constitution.

A resident is not inherently a citizen... and IMHO that wording should be fixed thru an amendment process... because I personally feel no non-citizen should vote... just as no ward of the state should vote (AKA prisoners, committed mental patients, etc)
 

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