Bill > H855

This bill proposes to extend municipal voting rights to noncitizens who are 18 years or older and have legal immigration status in the Commonwealth. The bill defines key terms such as "municipal election" (which includes elections for local offices like mayor, city council, and school committee), "noncitizen voter", and establishes specific voting rights and limitations for noncitizen voters. Under this legislation, noncitizen voters would be able to register to vote in municipal elections, participate in town meetings, and even run for and serve in municipal elected offices, with the critical limitation that they cannot vote in federal elections, state elections, or on initiative petitions. The state secretary would be responsible for creating a specific noncitizen voter registration form, which applicants must sign under penalty of perjury, affirming their municipal residency. Municipal election officials would be required to add noncitizen voters to the voting list upon receiving their registration form and must notify these voters about their voting rights, voting limitations, and potential citizenship application implications within five days of registration. Noncitizen voters can only remain registered in one municipality at a time and would retain their voting rights as long as they remain residents of that municipality.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H855