Kerby Anderson

Should non-citizens be given the right to vote? Most Americans would say no. If you want to vote, you should become an American citizen. But before you conclude that the matter is settled, consider what has been happening in certain areas of the country.

A few weeks ago, the New York City Council voted to allow over 800,000 green-card holders and non-citizen residents with work permits to vote in municipal elections. Cities like Chicago and San Francisco allow non-citizens to vote in school elections. Municipalities in Maryland and Vermont allow non-citizens to vote in special circumstances. Other cities are considering proposals for non-citizen voting.

If you take a moment to read the Constitution, you will notice that five amendments (14, 15, 19, 24, 26) explicitly limit voting to US citizens. In fact, federal law makes it a felony for non-citizens to vote in federal elections. But states are free to make their own choices about who can participate in elections.

That’s why it is time to have a national dialogue about who in this country should be allowed to vote. Progressives are pushing for non-citizen voting, arguing that it is taxation without representation. If you aren’t a citizen and want to vote, then go through the process to become a citizen.

Sometimes people do pay taxes before they are given the opportunity to vote.  For example, I was paying taxes for many years before I was allowed to vote at the age of 21. The 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering the voting age to 18, was enacted about the time I was already allowed to vote.

Citizens should be the ones voting in this country. Non-citizens who want to vote should go through the process of naturalization. We welcome you and will gladly give you the right to vote.