11 Massachusetts Democrats sponsor bill to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections
A bill sponsored by eleven Massachusetts Democrats to allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in local elections continues to move forward by legislators in Boston. The bill introduced in the Massachusetts House was referred to the Joint Committee on Election Laws on January 23 of this year. The Massachusetts Senate concurred on the same day and there have been joint hearings on the bill in June and October of this year.
The following legislators sponsored the bill:
Rep. Byron Rushing [D]
Rep. Denise Provost [D]
Rep. David Rogers [D]
Rep. Daniel Donahue [D]
Rep. Marjorie Decker [D]
Rep. Jose Tosado [D]
Rep. Michelle Dubois [D]
Rep. Kay Khan [D]
Sen. James Eldridge [D]
Rep. Carlos Gonzalez [D]
Rep. Elizabeth Malia [D]
They key part of the bill:
“Notwithstanding the provisions of section one of chapter fifty-one of the general laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, non-citizens, 18 years of age or older, residing in a city or town that accepts section 1G, inclusive, may upon application have their names entered on a list of voters established by the municipal election officials, and may thereafter vote in any municipal election for school committee, school committee questions, city council and board of selectmen for so long as they remain domiciled in the municipality.”
Full text of the bill: