.
PASSED
in the State House of Representatives
on April 18, 2019, by a vote of
95-46
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Purpose: This would change the charter of the City of Montpelier to allow non-citizens who are legally in the United States and full time residents of the city to vote in city elections.
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Analysis: Those voting YES assert that non-citizens pay taxes, have children in the schools, and are active participants in the community, therefore they deserve the right to vote on issues that affect them.
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Those voting NO assert that voting is a right and responsibility tied to citizenship, and that giving this privilege to non-citizens unfairly undermines the votes of actual citizens. They raise concerns that this will set a precedent for other towns to follow, and note that this is unconstitutional.
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The Vermont Constitution states (emphasis added): “QUALIFICATIONS OF FREEMEN AND FREEWOMEN, § 42. [VOTER’S QUALIFICATIONS AND OATH] Every person of the full age of eighteen years who is a citizen of the United States, having resided in this State for the period established by the General Assembly and who is of a quiet and peaceable behavior, and will take the following oath or affirmation, shall be entitled to all the privileges of a voter of this state:…”
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As Recorded in the House Journal, Thursday, April 18, 2019: “Shall the bill be amended as recommended by the Committee on Government Operations? was decided in the affirmative. Yeas, 95. Nays, 46. ” (
Read the Journal, p. 862-867.)
(Click on your Rep’s name to send an email)
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Are there ANY rights remaining for citizens? These people may be here now, but they can leave at any time & have no vested long-term interest in the effects of their decisions. If they want a voice, it should be imperative that they become LEGAL citizens.
I totally agree that legal immigrants to this country should have the right to vote….After they RENOUNCE the citizenship of their native country, pass through our citizenship classes, learning something about our Constitution, history, and laws, and Pledge Allegiance to the United States of America! What is wrong with asking present immigrants to do what most of our ancestors had to do for hundreds of years?
Do not tell me that this is not a slippery slope. Once this principle is established in more and more localities across the country, why wouldn’t the argument be made that these non citizens should be granted the right to vote in state and federal elections? After all, they are taxpaying members of those communities as well.
You people in Montpelier who voted in favor of this, are all traitors, and should resign immediately from your elected office. You have clearly violated the Constitution of the State of Vermont. It is the Attorney General’s obligation to file criminal charges against every one of you. Or you should be impeached. Of course this will never happen, because of the left dominant legislature in this state.
In addition, this legislation makes every one of these non citizen voters a criminal, notwithstanding your “yea” votes. Every vote that a non citizen casts, possibly negates the legal vote of a citizen. This is not only a crime in and of itself, but is a an act of voter suppression of legal voters, and a violation of legal citizen voters civil rights.
Don’t think that the peasants, the deplorables aren’t noticing how you are taking their rights away.