H855 — An Act extending voting rights in municipal elections to noncitizen voters of the Commonwealth

Summary

An Act extending voting rights in municipal elections to noncitizen voters of the Commonwealth

Bill Text

• Full text Current

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

• Section 1G. (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: “municipal election”, an election for mayor, school committee, city council, town council, board of selectmen, select board elections, a school committee referendum, a local ballot referendum or other municipal elections. “noncitizen voter”, a person 18 years of age or older with legal immigration status who is not a citizen of the United States. “noncitizen voting limitations”, a noncitizen voter’s inability to vote for: (1) the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate or Member of the House of Representatives pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 611; (2) a state office; or (3) initiative petitions authorized under article XLVIII of the constitution. “noncitizen voter registration form”, a voter registration form that only a noncitizen voter uses. “noncitizen voting rights”, a noncitizen voter’s right to: (1) vote in a municipal election; (2) participate in a town meeting; and (3) be a candidate and serve, if duly elected, in a municipal elected office. “town meeting”, an open town meeting or a representative town meeting established pursuant to chapter 43A. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of chapter 51 or any other general or special law to the contrary, a municipal election official shall enter a noncitizen voter’s name on a list of noncitizen voters upon the noncitizen voter’s submission of a noncitizen voter registration form. Within 5 days of entering the noncitizen voter’s name on the list, the municipal election officer shall notify the noncitizen voter: (1) of the noncitizen voting rights; (2) of the noncitizen voting limitations; and (3) that voting in a federal election may jeopardize the noncitizen’s application for United States citizenship. (c) For as long as the noncitizen voter remains a resident of the town in which the noncitizen voter has registered to vote, the noncitizen voter may exercise the noncitizen voting rights. A noncitizen voter shall only remain registered to vote in one municipality at a time. (d) The state secretary shall issue a noncitizen voter registration form. The voter registration form shall include a declaration to be signed under pains and penalties of perjury by the noncitizen voter that the noncitizen is a resident of the municipality in which the noncitizen voter desires to vote. (e) The state secretary and the election officer of a municipality shall disseminate the noncitizen voter registration form at the same places and in the same manner that the state secretary and election officer of a municipality disseminate the voter registration form for a United States citizen. (f) The state secretary shall issue regulations to implement this section.

  This provision establishes a new section that allows noncitizen voters to register and vote in municipal elections, outlining their rights and limitations.

Sponsors

• Samantha Montaño · Primary

Subjects