As of right now, only five states in the United States (Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, and North Dakota) have “only citizens” regulations in place.
The Republicans in Ohio are trying to get a law on the ballot this coming November 8 that would prevent noncitizens from voting in municipal elections in reaction to what they see as a push for comparable access in liberal strongholds like San Francisco and New York City.
Voter turnout among Republicans in the 2018 elections might be boosted if Ohio were to join the ranks of the successful states, which would make Ohio the seventh. But in the meanwhile, there’s a heated contest in the state for a seat that might swing the balance of power in Washington. Senate.
State Issue 2 was introduced by the Republican-controlled Ohio legislature. Frank LaRose, the Republican candidate for secretary of state, strongly backs the legislation. Small but significant, this amendment would alter the Ohio Constitution by replacing “any citizen” with “only citizens” of the United States who meet the requirements for voting.
LaRose, who is seeking re-election, stated that most people thought that the prohibition on noncitizen voting in federal and state elections that has been in force since 1996 also extended to municipal elections, despite the fact that the statute is quiet on the topic. He stated a terrible notion was gaining traction across the country.
During a news conference in October to promote the issue, LaRose said, “It’s an awful thought to callously give away the right to vote to persons that haven’t earned it.” In my opinion, it is humbling to continue the work of so many of our forebears who sacrificed so much so that we may be citizens.
As of the year 2020, the “only citizens” option may be found in the constitutions of six states: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, and North Dakota, according to research by Americans for Citizen Voting.
In order to win the right to vote in local elections, legal immigrants are utilizing a similar patriotic rallying cry to that of the American Revolution. They complain that despite paying taxes, they have little say in matters of local importance, such as who serves on a city council or whether or not schools should charge tuition.
An NYC educator and green card holder named Melissa John has been a staunch advocate for the noncitizen voting rights bill that was passed in January but is presently on hold owing to a lawsuit.
According to her, “I should be able to put my voice behind those that coincide with your aim if my money is going into a system to support and produce improvements in my immediate region or where I teach, work, or socialize.”
Ohio’s liberal town of Yellow Springs, with a population of 3,700, was the first in the state to pass an amendment to its ordinance that would allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections. The amendment was approved by a referendum in 2019, but LaRose successfully halted its implementation on the grounds that it violated both state and federal law.
City Council President Brian Housh stated that the majority of villagers were opposed to the plan but that the town lacked the financial means to challenge the decision in court. He asserted that proponents of extending voting rights to noncitizens in Yellow Springs would have defended their position by pointing out that it was in line with the city’s right to self-government.
At a press conference, LaRose stated that allowing noncitizens to vote would violate a fundamental right of citizenship and place an “enormous administrative weight and stress” on local boards of elections. Housh disagrees with that point of view. Around 30 suspected noncitizens were added to the voter rolls, but the Greene County Board of Elections told the township it was “quite confident” in its capacity to issue and count ballots for them.
According to Housh, the candidate is employing a scare strategy by utilizing anti-immigrant ballot wording to win over Republican voters and earn money.
Housh claims Secretary LaRose has called us traitors for becoming involved in politics. Rephrased as: “I get what you’re getting at. In most municipal elections in Ohio, noncitizens would be barred from casting ballots. However, it serves the needs of our little group. Residents value this diversity and believe all residents should have a voice in government.”
Eleven of the fifteen American towns that have granted noncitizens the ability to vote are located in the state of Maryland. So Yellow Springs delivered as promised. Two little villages in Vermont made a list alongside New York City and San Francisco.
Despite the fact that many of Chevy Chase, Maryland’s residents do not have American citizenship because they work for embassies or foreign organizations, Mayor Barney Rush says they still want a say in local politics.
He argued that residents and property owners had a “vested stake” in the community’s decision-making process. They said all you had to do was make some friends among the natives, and that would be enough.
Since its inception in 2018, he says, the initiative has been a success, and the lists have been revised to add the names of about 20 foreign nationals.
Republicans are concerned because an issue that began in a few rural areas has spread to large cities.
Voting in San Francisco school board elections is open to noncitizen parents and guardians. Approximately 13,600 children are growing up in households where English is not spoken as a first language; this may provide a clue as to the number of possible candidates. Currently, just 63 noncitizens have registered to vote, as reported by John Arntz, the city’s elections director.
Over 800,000 persons in New York who were brought to the U.S. as children but are neither citizens nor permanent residents will now be eligible to vote according to the new legislation. A similar ballot language will appear in Oakland, California, a city of around 420,000 people located across the water from San Francisco. Washington, DC, is home to almost 700,000 people, and just last month, its city council decided to extend voting rights to noncitizens.
Republican state representative Bill Seitz was instrumental in putting Ohio’s noncitizen limitation on the ballot. Seitz claimed that the state should step in when local governments in Ohio tax employees who do not live in the state.
Why? As he put it, “if these cities pick up the liberal progressive slogan of permitting noncitizens to vote,” not only would noncitizens be allowed to vote in local elections, but they will also be able to vote on increasing the taxes payable by the nonresident employees who commute into the city to work. Consequently, the whole urban core, unincorporated community, and rural area must cooperate.
Central Ohio Republican county commissioner candidate Luis Gil (who is also a U.S. citizen) is in favor of the Ohio amendment. Gil moved to the United States at the age of 18 from Venezuela and has always denied supporting fraudulent citizenship applications.
During his news conference, LaRose said, “Most immigrants, we don’t believe this way.” We know that if we want to succeed, we have to put in the time and effort required and play by the same rules that everyone else does.