Bill > H810

This bill proposes to extend municipal voting rights to noncitizen residents in Massachusetts by creating a new legal framework for noncitizen voter registration and participation. Specifically, the bill defines a "noncitizen voter" as a person 18 or older with legal immigration status who is not a U.S. citizen, and allows such individuals to vote in municipal elections, participate in town meetings, and potentially serve in municipal elected offices. Key provisions include requiring municipal election officials to register noncitizen voters using a special registration form, notifying them of their voting rights and limitations (such as being unable to vote in federal or state elections), and ensuring that noncitizens can only be registered in one municipality at a time. The state secretary would be responsible for creating the noncitizen voter registration form, which must include a signed declaration of municipal residency, and for disseminating these forms in the same manner as standard voter registration forms. The bill also mandates that noncitizen voters be informed that voting in a federal election could potentially jeopardize their citizenship application. By creating this new voter category, the bill aims to increase local political participation for legal immigrants who are not yet U.S. citizens.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H810