You will all start to tire of hearing about Toronto, but it is part of my
life experience.
While attending the University of Toronto - Scarborough Campus in the city of
Scarborough I was the subject of many enumerations. This when an election
will be held, the enumeraters will go door to door asking who resides at the
location and what their situation is depending on which election it is
(Federal, Provinical or City). I always answered truthfully that I was a US
citizen. But I didn't now that I would be eligible to vote in the city
election until they mailed me my voting card that told me where to vote. I
don't know where it is today, but I kept, did not vote (didn't know the local
issues, what student does) and didn't know if I would be able to keep my card
as proof that I was eligible to vote in another country.
I think landed immigrants should be eligible to vote in local elections.
Plus if you empower them with the right to vote, they will feel better about
their community and may pursue citizenship if they hadn't already decided.
Josh Kroll
Powderhorn - Ward 9-4
> Message: 13
> From: "Nathan Hunstad" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "issues minneapolis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: [Mpls] Some Information on Immigrant/Resident Alien Voting
> Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 22:44:21 -0600
>
> As a person who has recently married an immigrant, I think I have some
> insight into this issue. And while I won't go into the abuses of the INS
> here (there is much more abuse than good) because this is a Minneapolis
> discussion list, I do have some information on the issue of non-citizens
> voting in local elections.
> This is an idea that is long past its due. It is simply unconscionable
> that people are not allowed to vote due to the circumstances of their
birth.
> While I can tolerate not allowing people to vote in federal elections if a
> person does not take an oath to the Federal Republic, local elections are
> another matter. Citizens and non-citizens have gotten their cars towed due
> to the plowing practices of the city; shouldn't they be able to vote for
> city council members? They go to schools. They pay federal and state
> taxes. Shouldn't they have some say in how that money is spent?
> In some parts of Europe non-citizens are already allowed to vote in
> local elections. It is the goal of the European Union to extend this to
all
> member states of the EU. Already, citizens of EU countries can work in any
> other member country; with this change, they will be able to vote in city
> and EU elections.
> In my opinion, this isn't a perfect answer; I await the day when border
> controls are abolished and the INS is a quaint example in history books of
> using discriminatory practices to keep willing people out of our country.
> But until then, the least we can do is let non-citizens get involved in the
> level of government that affects them most.
>
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