The District is considering granting permanent US residents the right to vote in local elections, after DC Councilmember Brianne Nadeau reintroduced a bill.
Titled the Local Resident Voting Rights Act, the bill aims at expanding voting eligibility to Green Card-holders in the elections for:
- The city’s mayor
- Chairman or members of the DC Council
- Attorney General
- Members of the State Board of Education
- Advisory Neighborhood Commissions
Nadeau had previously introduced the legislation to the DC Council.
“Every day, elected officials are making decisions about affordable housing, education, human services and more,” the Ward 1 councilmember said in a release. “People who have made their permanent homes here should have a hand in who represents them in government. The District of Columbia has long been a place that has welcomed immigrants into our community, and it’s time to allow for their full participation in our institutions.”
Every day, elected officials are making decisions about affordable housing, education, human services and more. People who have made their permanent homes here should have a hand in who represents them in government. Today, I re-introduced the Local Resident Voting Rights Act. 🗳
— Brianne K. Nadeau (@BrianneKNadeau) June 9, 2021
Local government has gained even more significance during the pandemic, as the health and safety of permanent residents in DC were greatly impacted by decisions taken at the local level, according to Nadeau.
“As more and more legislators across the country introduce bills to suppress votes of their most marginalized residents, here in the District of Columbia we are marching in the opposite direction. We are on the verge of Statehood and full representation for DC residents. It’s time for us to expand and strengthen every aspect of our democracy,” added Nadeau.
Councilmembers Elissa Silverman, Robert White, Christina Henderson, Brooke Pinto, Janeese Lewis George, and Charles Allen co-introduced the bill.
