Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., advanced a measure that would allow legal noncitizens to vote in local elections, clearing the way for a final vote before the City Council next month.
Under the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2021, legal noncitizens living in the district would be permitted to vote in local city elections, following the lead of a handful of small towns in Maryland, such as Hyattsville and Takoma Park, that already have these laws in place. Similar proposals have been introduced several times over the last decade, but the latest iteration is the first to make it to the D.C. Council for a full vote.
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UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS COULD VOTE IN LOCAL DC ELECTIONS UNDER NEW BILL
“Our immigrant neighbors of all statuses participate, contribute, and care about our community in our city. They, like all D.C. residents, deserve a right to have a say in their government,” said Councilman Charles Allen while introducing the bill on Tuesday. “They raise families here, contribute to their community. They run businesses that people depend on, and they pay taxes that we decide how to spend. Yet they have no ability to elect local leaders who make decisions about their bodies, their businesses, and their tax dollars.”
The vote passed by a 12-1 decision on Tuesday and will be introduced during next month’s legislative meeting for a final vote. If passed, the bill will then go to Mayor Muriel Bowser for final approval.
Advocates of the bill have argued for years that legal noncitizens should have the right to vote in local elections because they pay taxes and are directly affected by city laws. However, opponents have countered that voting rights should be withheld until full citizenship is attained.
Despite the bill’s advancement, the future of the legislation is uncertain. That is because most Washington laws are subject to congressional approval before they can take effect — and with Republicans looking to seize control of Congress in November, they could block the bill from becoming law.
Over the summer, 30 House Republicans signed on to a bill that sought to ban the district from allowing citizens residing in the district illegally from participating in local elections.
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However, Washington lawmakers have pointed to the large number of legal noncitizens who live in the city, noting that 1 in 7 residents is an immigrant, according to the American Immigration Council. As a result, a law allowing them to vote in local elections could have a major effect.
Only Councilwoman Mary Cheh voted against the bill, suggesting a longer threshold for residency than the 30-day benchmark. Cheh argued any legal noncitizens who were bused to the district from Texas or Arizona would be eligible to vote in local elections. However, others argued those numbers wouldn’t significantly affect election results.
