Discussion»Questions»Politics» College Park, MD is now allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections. How will they enforce it? Local issues are on my Fed ballot.
If the people in Podunk, USA wish to extend the right to vote to all who reside their, I'd say that is a local issue.
Perhaps the answer is to get the feds out of the local issues. Local issues = local elections. State issues = state elections. Federal issues = federal elections. I know many will claim this will be an unfair burden taxpayers, but taxpayers can ultimately say yea or nay on that. Some will vote for citizen oversight...some for government oversight...either way, leave it up to the citizenry.
I'm not sure precisely what you mean by that, Zack. I grew up and came of age in "Podunk, USA'. I lived in the middle of nowhere, halfway between a one-block burg and a 2 or 3-block village. My little township was governed by the citizens. That is no longer true today. Back then we handled our business such that it benefited us up close and personal. The people in DC don't have a clue what is best for my Podunk, or yours, or that city, or that state. The closer the governance, the better off the citizenry.
I disagree..I think you should have to be a citizen to vote. Citizens can have their right to vote taken away for crimes. Just crazy to me that some citizens cannot vote but a non-citizen will be allowed. It will be more expensive to have separate elections for each level of gov. But yes if a city allows non-citizens to vote then that city should pay for the extra election day that will require to even attempt to prevent them from voting in non-local elections.
Again, I do not believe in top-down governance. Whether localities can choose to allow non-citizens a vote is rightfully a state issue. When individual localities consider it, I cannot imagine they aren't debating the costs associated with it before deciding the issue. College Park isn't the first city in Maryland to pass such a measure, one did so back in 1993, so College Park could/may have consulted that city about costs and logistics of implementation.
Voting rights for felons/ex-cons is also a state issue. Most states automatically restore voting rights after completion of either incarceration or parole/probation, and in two states felons never lose their right to vote. Only six states require a pardon/court order for all ex-cons who wish to have their voting rights restored. Personally, I believe if the rights are suspended for felons, they should automatically be restored upon completion of their sentence.
It is up to states and localities who may vote in those local and state elections. Only citizens may vote in national elections. When the president is being elected, state and local jurisdictions will have to manage so that only citizens vote in the national elections and non-citizens only vote in local elections. I find it terribly disappointing for any jurisdiction to allow itself to be governed by non-citizens.
Bozette 