Lawmakers in Burlington, Vt., approved a resolution Monday that would allow non-citizens to vote in city elections.
Councilman Adam Roof, who wrote the resolution which passed in a 10-2 vote, argued all residents of the city are impacted by decisions made at City Hall, and therefore should be allowed to vote regardless of citizenship status.
“The right to vote is more important now than ever before,” Roof told WCAX-TV. “All residents have the right, in my eyes, to participate in the local democratic process, and the highest level of participation in that process is being able to cast your vote,”
He said the resolution aligns with the city’s 2014 Diversity and Equity Strategic Plan to create a more engaged community. More than 3,000 residents are ineligible to vote due to their status as refugees, the resolution said.
One resident spoke out against the measure, accusing the council of “political pandering” to voters.
“We have 40,000-plus registered voters,” the unidentified resident said. “How many of those are nonresident college students who vote on our property taxes, our legislators, our city leadership — which includes all of you — and much more, and then move away?” – READ MORE