Droit de vote des étrangers aux États-Unis/Maine

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Droit de vote des étrangers aux États-Unis


http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/102610.html

3/28/09 | 23 comments Maine lawmaker wants to open the door to noncitizens voting in local elections

By The Associated Press


PORTLAND, Maine — A bill opening the door to immigrants and other noncitizens to vote in municipal elections is getting a frosty reception from the chairman of the Maine Republican Party.

GOP Chairman Charlie Webster says it’s a “lamed-brained proposal” by lawmakers who should instead be focusing on bigger problems: solving the state’s budget and health care problems.

The proposal is sponsored by lawmakers representing cities with large immigrant communities, Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, and Rep. Brian Bolduc, D-Auburn.

Maine’s top election official, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, says he doesn’t think Alfond’s proposal does any harm.


http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/102682.html 3/30/09 | 21 comments GOP blasts proposal to let noncitizens vote

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill opening the door to immigrants and other noncitizens to vote in municipal elections is getting a frosty reception in some quarters.

Blasting the proposal, Maine Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster didn’t mince words in calling on Mainers to urge their lawmakers to toss the bill and move forward with more pressing needs: solving the state’s budget and health care problems.

“This lamebrained proposal is an affront not only to any person who has gone through the process of attaining American citizenship so that they could have the right to vote, but to anyone who voted for legislators that pledged to act with their constituents’ best interests at heart,” he declared after a newspaper reported on the bill.

The proposal — sponsored by lawmakers representing cities with large immigrant communities — Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, and Rep. Brian Bolduc, D-Auburn — would let communities choose whether to allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in municipal elections.

There’s a variety of legal Maine residents who are not U.S. citizens, including doctors, refugees, students, hockey players and more, said Alfond.

“I want to look at this,” Alfond told the Portland Press Herald. “Is there a way to give people in our communities a bigger way to be involved?”

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said he doesn’t think Alfond’s proposal does any harm. Noncitizens couldn’t be included in the electronic, federally funded voter rolls, so a separate paper list of voters would have to be kept, he said.

“Whenever you get more people to participate, you add legitimacy to that process,” Dunlap said. “The voice of the public, I think, is extraordinarily important.”

Already, immigrants who are not citizens are allowed to vote in a number of communities across the U.S., said Ron Hayduk, professor of political science at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and author of the book “Democracy for All.”

The basic argument for allowing noncitizens to vote is that groups excluded from voting are more likely to be discriminated against, Hayduk said.

But Hans Von Spakovsky, a legal scholar at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said it’s a bad idea because “people who are here as residents are not people who have assimilated and become part of the American culture and the American society.”

Mohamud Barre, president of the Somali Culture and Development Association of Maine, said he’s concerned that many immigrants aren’t informed enough to vote.

“They don’t know what’s going on, they don’t speak English,” said Barre, who is originally from Somalia.

Eric Nkusi, executive director of the Intore Club, a Portland-based immigrant and refugee advocacy association, sees it differently. He said noncitizens living in Maine pay the same taxes and their children go to the same schools.

“Knowing how Mainers are very democratic and very good with their neighbors with us immigrants, I have no doubt that people in the counties and the cities would support that,” Nkusi said. “Why would they not support it?”


http://www.justinalfond.com/news/ld-1195-testimony/ LD 1195 Testimony May 4, 2009 -

Senator Sullivan, Representative Trinward and esteemed members of the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee, my name is Justin Alfond. I am a resident of Portland and today I am pleased to appear before you as the sponsor of L.D. 1195, "An Act to Allow Noncitizen Residents to Vote in Municipal Elections."

All of us here are descendants of immigrants. Do you know your family’s history? Whether your family roots go back one or dozens of generations, our nation is founded on the diverse melting pot that they created. That legacy continues and, throughout Maine, thousands of legal noncitizens, like your ancestors, come here to establish new roots.

My mother’s side of the family immigrated to the United States in 1945 from Holland, and the proverbial ink has barely dried on that side of my family tree. Yet, no one questions my family’s voting rights or how they gained them.

I did not grow up in a political family. I had no idea how my parents voted, and my parents and I did not have a memorable talk when I became eligible to vote. When I was in my early twenties, I voted only in Presidential elections; local and community issues were not even a blip on my radar screen.

Upon my return to Maine in 2003, I wanted to become more involved in my new community of Portland. However, I truly did not know where to start, so I volunteered at Preble Street Resource Center and started attending any community meeting I could. When I noticed a lack of young people at these meetings, I established the Maine League of Young Voters. My four years of leading the League changed my life and that of thousands of others. Today, I know that I will never miss a vote again, nor will I feel uneducated about what’s on the ballot.

My point is this: I was born privileged enough to have the right to vote but not use it; I had to work hard to understand the importance of exercising that right. Ironically, most noncitizens, like the ones you will hear testifying today, are already incredibly involved in their communities but are unable to share that same freedom.

Enfranchising every legal resident to vote within the legal limit is my world view. Uniting all people in our community is something I have pushed for outside of this office, and I will continue to push for here in Augusta. I stand before you today because I know that it is right for Maine to be inclusive and fair.

Immigrants in this country, Maine included, are the social fabric of our community and crucial to our economic future. This is even truer today in a recession. We need everyone working together; it is time to ensure that our noncitizen friends, neighbors and community leaders are treated as equals in our local communities.

LD 1195 seeks to address a disparity that is often either not thought of or quickly disregarded. Maine has an increasingly diverse population coming from all over the globe to live “the way life should be.” Immigrants live in our communities, their children go to our schools, they serve in our military, they work hard and pay taxes like the rest of us.

This bill would allow municipalities, at their discretion, the option of granting noncitizens the right to vote in municipal elections. It is entirely elective, and no community would be forced to allow noncitizen voting.

I'll be the first to admit, this bill has generated emotion and heated discussion across the board, from joy, to curiosity, to opposition. Here I will dispel some common concerns and myths that have been shared with me:

  1. Many say, "Just become a citizen!" The people who follow me in testifying today will outline the process it takes to become a citizen. Today you will hear testimony from a representative of the Maine Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project on the process of becoming a United States Citizen.
  2. Others say, “This is unconstitutional!” I leave this to the expertise of the Secretary of State and Attorney General, who will each testify today.
  3. Others have said, "They haven't earned the right to vote," or, "They should vote in their home countries." Today, you will hear from many new Mainers who will share their incredible contributions as business owners, workers, professors and so much more. Additionally, you will hear the testimony of a leading political science expert, book author and co-founder of a coalition on expanding voting rights.
  4. Some say that immigrants have plenty of other ways to get involved in our communities. Some say they should learn our culture, learn our language, learn our political system, and then get the right to vote. Today you will hear from countless immigrants on how they are engaged in our communities, learn of the current barriers to being involved, and see that without a vote comes disenfranchisement.
  5. I have heard some argue that by extending the right to vote in municipal elections to noncitizens, we would somehow cheapen the status of United States citizenship. Instead, I contend that this bill enriches our democracy and returns us to our founding principles.
  6. Some municipal clerks feel that this process will be expensive, confusing, and hard to process. The Secretary of State looks forward to answering these questions.
  7. I have heard that out-of-state voters or Mainers with second homes or businesses have complained that they would also like to vote in every community in which they pay property taxes. The bottom line is, everyone has one vote, and that vote is cast where you have permanent residency.

The bigger issue of immigration reform for both documented and undocumented residents is a discussion to be had on the federal level, and not one I am interested in having here.

I did not get elected to side-step big issues occurring in Maine, even when an issue brings in an avalanche of emails, phone calls and letters. The hate mail and calls have been eye opening, but my family and I will be okay. I bring this bill to you because I will not remain neutral or silent in the face of human injustice.

I’d like to thank all of the co-signers of this bill, from the St. John Valley to southern Maine; there has been an outpouring of understanding from my colleagues on how much immigrants contribute to our society.

In summary, this bill would simply give municipalities the right to decide who is allowed to participate in their own elections. I would like to urge the committee to vote "Ought to Pass" on LD 1195, and thank you for your time.

http://theleagueofyoungvoters.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/why-we-need-ld-1195/

Why We Need LD 1195 May 6, 2009, 2:32 pm Filed under: Uncategorized

LD 1195: An Act to Allow Non-Citizen Residents to Vote in Municipal Elections

Maine is a distinctive state for its welcoming culture, and its values for community and inclusivity. Unfortunately for a growing part of Maine’s population, participation excludes the fundamental right of having a voice in our democracy—the right to vote. LD 1195 “An Act to Allow Non-Citizen Residents to Vote in Municipal Elections” would encourage civic engagement and responsibility, and give voice to one of the last disenfranchised segments of the population; to increase government accountability in communities with large immigrant population.

Why We Need LD 1195:

– Resident voting is the next step in expanding democracy. Democracy building is a process of continual evolution. Women and people of color fought hard-won battles for the right to vote. It was just over forty years ago that we extended the franchise to those under 21 years of age. It is time to include immigrants in our democracy.

– Resident voting is not a new right; it is the restoration of an old practice. For the first 150 years of U.S. history, immigrants in America were allowed to vote. It was not until the intense anti-immigrant backlash of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that immigrants lost this critical right. The Revolutionary War statement, ” no taxation without representation” is as relevant today as it was over 200 years ago.

– Resident voting is provided for constitutionally. There is nothing in the U.S. constitution that prevents immigrant residents of Maine from voting in municipal elections.

– Residents already have voting rights in some parts of the United States and in other countries. Immigrant residents have the right to vote in local elections in parts of Maryland, Massachusetts, San Francisco, Chicago, and in countries around the world

– Individuals should have a say in the laws that govern them. Laws apply to everyone in a society. Government services are established for the benefit of the public at large, not individuals. In Maine that public includes up to 64,000 immigrants who live, work, go to school, or pay taxes, and deserve to have a say in the laws that govern them and the programs that they pay for and use.

– We need to close the gap between local government and the people it serves. Many non-profit groups and writers have documented and released reports on the social and economic contributions immigrant make in Maine communities. Extending the right to vote will increase civic and political engagement in Maine and help ensure that elected representatives take the needs of all of their constituents into account.

– The path to citizenship is currently flawed. For many legal non-citizens, this isn’t a matter of “if they will get citizenship”—it’s a matter of when. Becoming a U.S. citizen can take as long as 10 years.

– This bill would strengthen our local control. Municipalities who want to allow its community members to vote should be able to instead of letting our Federal and state control who makes decisions.

– Non-citizens are held to the same obligations to serve our country as those who are citizens. They are required to register for the selective service (or the draft). If we lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 because we wanted to extend that right to an age group because we believe in accountability, we should make those rights at least available on a local level.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=247448&ac=PHnws

Sponsor: Voting bill constitutional

State House: Non-citizens already have some voting rights in other states. By BETH QUIMBY, Staff Writer March 28, 2009

The sponsor of a bill that would allow people who are not U.S. citizens to vote in municipal elections said he is confident his proposal is constitutional.

State Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, said he is getting both positive and negative response to his proposal, and said those who contend that the Maine Constitution would block the measure are incorrect.

The bill, LD 1195, is aimed at allowing non-citizen immigrants to vote on local issues. Proponents say the measure would encourage immigrants to become more active in their communities, giving them more incentive to pursue U.S. citizenship.

Critics say that voting should be reserved for U.S. citizens who have the language skills and knowledge to make informed choices.

Some election-law experts and legal scholars say the proposal could pass constitutional muster.

Cabanne Howard, assistant professor at the University of Maine School of Law in Portland, said the U.S. Constitution "surprisingly" covers voter eligibility only in federal elections.

The Maine Constitution addresses voter eligibility for state elections, and state law now requires all voters, at both the municipal and state level, to be U.S. citizens. However, any new law redefining voter eligibility would supersede current laws, officials said.

Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said he sees nothing unconstitutional about the proposal, as long as the voting system set up by the municipality is totally separate from the state and federal process.

Municipalities already are in charge of their own elections, he said. They produce their own ballots and conduct their own recounts.

"It is already a separate process. This proposal creates nothing new," said Dunlap.

Maine Deputy Attorney General Linda Pistner said language in the proposed bill needs to make a change in law clear to avoid any problems.

Measures to give non-citizens some voting rights have become more common across the country. In Maryland, for instance, where the state constitution requires U.S. citizenship for state-level elections, municipalities governed by municipal charters may allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in local elections.

A half-dozen Maryland municipalities have done just that.

Many of the details of Alfond's measure are being left to the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee to hammer out. Alfond said his idea is have the measure apply only to non-citizens here legally, and said it would be up to each municipality's governing body to decide whether non-citizens could vote.

Alfond said he's not surprised his proposal has sparked so much response.

"I am excited to have this discussion with my peers in Augusta, and if we all choose this as something to move forward, it will be up to municipalities to have their own discussions about how we look at Maine's diversity," he said.

Staff Writer Beth Quimby can be contacted at 791-6363 or at:

bquimby@pressherald.com Copyright 2009 by The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. All rights reserved.

http://www.republicanproject.org/users/cynthia-rosen/blog/04-11-09/ld-1195-it-not-over-we-are-not-done

LD 1195 It is NOT over. We are NOT done. Submitted by Cynthia Rosen on Sat, 04/11/2009 - 11:58


An Act To Allow Noncitizens To Vote! LD 1195

This Public Hearing is over. We are not done with LD 1195. We can still stop them from passing this bill out of committee and onto the floor. The list of the Members of the Joint Standing Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs is below. The committee has 8 democrats and 5 republicans. We all know we cannot depend upon the ‘D’ or the ‘R’ next to their name, however, it is important to note that if they did vote party line, we lose. 8 – 5. Which makes it even more important that we LOBBY them. We are the "special interests". Call them. E-mail them. I might recommend that the subject in the e-mails be “Oppose LD 1195”. They may not even open the emails, so at least they can see by the subject what it is.

Please do not stop now. This treasonous piece of legislation that bi-passes our US Constitution and the Right of citizens of the United States to vote can be stopped.

AND WE NEED TO STAND UP AND STOP THIS! What defines America? What defines us from the rest of the world, but our Constitution? Noncitizens, be they legal or not, enjoy the same freedoms we do BECAUSE of our Constitution.

EXCEPT for the right to vote. THAT BELONGS TO CITIZENS.

Please, copy and paste this into an e-mail and send this to all you know. E-mail your lists, post on your boards and in your networks, distribute to your committees, your knitting groups and book clubs!

It is the right of the citizens of the United States to vote. Stand up and be counted!

Thank you! - Cynthia