Frequently Asked Questions:

Isn’t it unconstitutional to let non-citizens vote?
No, not at the local level.  While our state constitution requires that you be a citizen to vote for state and federal offices, Maine is a home rule state, meaning that municipalities have the power to make many decisions on their own.  The City of Portland can decide to let legal non-citizens vote in local issues.

Do other cities in America allow non-citizens to vote?
Yes.  For example, Illinois has allowed non-citizen voting in school board elections since 1998.  Several communities in Maryland allow non-citizen voting.

Why should we let non-citizens vote?  Isn’t the right to vote something that should be earned?
The vast majority of U.S. citizens “earned” the right to vote through the accident of geography: they were born here.  Citizenship can often take 10 years or more to achieve for immigrants.  The League supports non-citizen voting at the local level because:

• It’s fair.  It fixes the “no taxation without representation” problem.
• Legal non-citizens are often unfairly affected by crime and other social justice issues, yet have no official say in how our community is policed or how our tax dollars are spent.  By letting non-citizens vote in local elections, non-citizens will have an official way to let their voices be heard on issues that affect them.
• Letting legal non-citizens vote in local elections can help train immigrants in what it means to be a good citizen and inspire them to apply for citizenship so they can vote at the statewide and national level.