For consideration at Annual Town Meeting in May, the Hopkinton Select Board is proposing to add a new law enabling non-US citizens to vote at Town Meeting and in Hopkinton elections. If approved, the law will be presented to the Massachusetts State House for adoption as a Home Rule Petition.
The draft text of the article reads as follows:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of chapter 51 of the General Laws, or any other general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, lawful permanent residents 18 years or older who reside in Hopkinton may, upon application, have their name entered on a list of registered voters established by the Town Clerk for the Town of Hopkinton and may thereafter vote in any election for local offices or local ballot questions, and at Special and Annual Town Meetings.
SECTION 2. The Select Board of the Town of Hopkinton may formulate regulations and guidelines to implement the purpose of this act.
SECTION 3. Nothing in this act shall be construed to confer upon lawful permanent residents the right to vote for any state or federal office or any state or federal ballot question.
A Permanent Resident, often referred to as a “green card holder,” is a foreign national who has been granted the right to live and work permanently in the United States. Permanent residency is an immigration status that allows individuals to reside in the U.S. on a long-term basis but does not grant them U.S. citizenship. Green card holders enjoy many of the same rights and privileges as U.S. citizens, such as the ability to work, attend school, and access most public services. As with US citizens, Permanent Residents are required to report their worldwide income to the IRS and file an annual tax return.
But Permanent Residents are ineligible to vote state or federal elections.
Reached for comment, Select Board Chair Muriel Kramer wrote this:
“We would like Town Meeting voters to consider extending voting rights in local elections and at Town Meetings to non-US citizens living in Hopkinton, and who like other residents, are deeply invested in our schools and other local priorities. This is an initiative that seeks to expand access equitably to all residents in the local decision making processes – processes that those affected individuals support through their taxes and are impacted by as residents of Hopkinton. We encourage folks to get informed and provide feedback to the Select Board on this initiative prior to Annual Town Meeting May 6th.”
Barbara Nye is a Dutch citizen who has lived in Massachusetts since 1998. She and her American husband lived first in Boston, then Dedham, and finally moved their family to Hopkinton in 2015.
“I have never understood why a permanent resident can’t vote,” said Nye. “We work, pay taxes, volunteer, start businesses, have neighbors and friends, celebrate the Fourth of July, and sing the national anthem. It was a long road to get my green card, and I feel that not allowing the right to vote is a form of discrimination against people who have proven themselves to be outstanding members of the community. It’s time for a change.”
Over the past few years, several cities in Massachusetts, including Amherst, Brookline, Cambridge, Newton, Wayland, and Somerville, have taken steps to allow noncitizens with legal status to participate in local elections. However, their progress has been hindered by our state’s unique regulations. Massachusetts requires towns to submit a home-rule petition for approval by state lawmakers and the governor, and thus far the legislature has chosen not to act on these petitions. Most recently, on December 14, 2023, the Boston City Council passed a similar measure, and sent it to Mayor Michelle Wu’s desk for consideration, and proponents hope that this will generate momentum for their cause.
Green card holders should apply for US citizenship if they want to be able to vote, even in local elections. A green card holder who is married to an American citizen can apply after 2 years whereas those so aren’t can apply after 5 years. A green card holder who has been here for many years and who hasn’t at least applied for US citizenship must have a reason, either they might not qualify or they want to maintain citizenship in their home country (which is their right). Even though a green card holder lives in Hopkinton, the right to vote in our town’s elections should be reserved for US citizens. If the green card holders want to vote, they should become citizens. If they don’t qualify for citizenship, then maybe they shouldn’t be voting in our local election. If they want to remain a citizen of their home country, that is their choice, but one made at the expense of not being able to vote in our town’s elections/town meetings. If they haven’t been here long enough to apply for citizenship, they should wait until they can, and then apply and once approved, exercise their right to vote.
Why would anyone whether here legally or illegally pursue citizenship when all the benefits are bestowed on them regardless.
I have been a permanent resident in this country for 50 years. I am from Holland, which does not allow dual citizenship. I don’t want to lose my EU passport, considering the terrible prospects American citizenship faces in the near future. I am active politically on a local level. Very active. But I cannot vote on my own motions, home rule petitions, etc. Those affect permanent residents just as much as citizens. Rather than thinking that permanent residents ‘take advantage’ of this country, it is the other way around. Taxation without representation is a very un-American concept.
A question for Anonymous:
I am curious why you believe that voting in town elections should be reserved for US citizens. I just don’t understand the logic, maybe you can shed some light on it. Is it about the statement “If they don’t qualify for citizenship, then maybe they shouldn’t be voting in our local election”? Who are these ‘unqualified’ permanent residents?
Citizenship has its privileges’. If I own a vacation home in another town or state, I can’t vote yet I would pay taxes. If I wanted to vote I would have to change my citizenship. If you are guest of a club, they won’t allow you to vote at their meetings. We should find what is important to us, and if voting is important, take the steps to become a citizen, or member, not a visitor.
Following that reasoning, guests should not be asked to pay any fees, so town should waive all property and excise taxes since these are just “guests”.
That doesn’t make any sense. When you are a guest at a hotel or any location providing services to you, then you have to pay for those services. Guests at these locations don’t get to vote on how the organization is run.
So I lived and worked in the US for 6 years with my Company. I lived in Hopkinton for those 6 years and was a property owner for 4 of those 6. So I had to pay my tax but had no right to vote as to how that money was spent. As someone who grew up in Northern Ireland where my parents’ generation had to battle to get the vote this never sat well with me. Got to the point I told the town clerk I would complete the annual census as the proposal that it generated were proposals I couldn’t vote on. Taxation without representation is not good. I have since returned to Ireland.
Steve Nye, that’s sort of the issue I guess. If a green card holder hasn’t become a US citizen after they are able to do so, no one knows why. No one knows who is unqualified to become a US citizen, or for what reason, they just aren’t US citizens, but are long term green card holders. As I stressed, some green card holders don’t want to give up citizenship in their home country and that is fine. It’s their choice. However the right to vote is a privilege for US citizens whether it’s for local elections or federal, where many issues that affect everyone including green card holders are decided. Why should green card holders get to vote in local elections if they can’t vote in federal elections? Enda McLaughlin made the decision to return to Ireland rather than become a US citizen and gain the right to vote. That was her choice. Citizens (women, African Americans, etc.) in the US had to battle to get the right to vote as did her parents in Ireland. The right to vote should not be handed out to people who don’t want to be US citizens.
Pure insanity. Who is running this town? Is there any other country in the world that allows this? I think not.
Anonymous im a He not A She
In Ireland non citizens are allowed to vote in local elections. Surprised it wasn’t allowed in some parts of the US
I do not think that a person with a green card should be allowed to vote. I immigrated to this country over fifty years ago and was not able to vote in any elections until I became a citizen. This is the process that every person should follow before being allowed to vote. Some may argue that since they pay taxes, they should be allowed to vote. My opinion is that that property taxes they pay helps to ensure that they live in a safe community with outstanding education system. They pay income taxes for the privilege earning all income in this state/ country. If they want to vote let them get dual citizenship which USA allowed snow. I am very proud of been a citizen.
At some point in time people of color were not allowed to vote, neither were women, if we are resisting change might as well reverse these amendments while we are at it.
I have lived in this town for 44 years and this is the most ridicules thing I have heard . We have a thing in this country called citizenship . Mrs Nye is working , paying taxes and part of the community , As her green card requires . If she ( after 25 years living here ) or anyone else want to vote then they can become a citizen . That is one of the privileges of being a citizen
With due respect to the well-expressed opinions on both sides, I think it’s a healthier democracy when more residents have direct say in how their money is spent. And there’s a rationale behind allowing a permanent resident to vote on local though not federal matters: A resident would know what they want locally based on personal experience, whereas the full duties of citizenship rightly require more learning of American history and civics.
Permanent residents will gain the ability to vote locally only if current citizens of Hopkinton take up their cause and vote to enfranchise them. And if they don’t get the right to vote in Hopkinton, I wouldn’t blame them for looking more favorably on towns that do allow them to vote.
How would you handle the logistics of voting on Federal vs State vs local matters? 2024 is a presidential election year, but what if the town has a prop 2 1/2 vote? Separate ballots handed out? Same ballot with sections crossed out for different types of voters? This sounds like a real issue for the town clerk.
I agree with Rosalia Tocco. Becoming a naturalized US citizen is a long process and those who go through it are proud to be US citizens, proud to be have earned the right to vote. It’s not really fair to let green card holders vote in local elections when they haven’t earned that right by going through the process of becoming a citizen. Yes green card holders pay taxes but they also benefit from being able to work here, and from a top notch school system, great police and fire departments, DPW, etc. I think that green card holders can have input at school board meetings as well as other town board and selectmen meetings, maybe they could even get on some of those boards, not sure about that. They just can’t vote in elections/at town meeting. Their voices can still be heard.
Healthy and respectful debate! Excellent stuff! A tip of the cap to HopNews for creating the platform for so many to share their opinions.
From a purely economic perspective, do we know how many affected people we are talking about? and what the cost to the tax payers will be?
If they are paying taxes to the town they should have every right to vote.
With your logic – everyone who pays federal taxes should be allowed to vote in federal elections as well??? I M not zide where this town and whole state is heading with these decisions. Let’s accept and pay for all illegals ~1B, then ups Maura H. – state budget is short of 1B, lets cut mass health money…