The council voted 10-2 to refer the item to a council subcommittee for further discussion. City Council President Kurt Wright (R-Ward 4) and Councilor Ali Dieng (D/P-Ward 7) voted no.
City Councilor Adam Roof (I-Ward 8), who championed the ballot item, said it became clear “there was a growing level of misunderstanding and confusion” about noncitizen voting. Some people assumed the ballot item would afford voting rights to undocumented residents, Roof said. Instead, it would have allowed those who come to the country legally — but are not citizens — to vote in municipal elections.
“My personal intention with this motion is to put the initiative in a better position to pass,” he said, “and given how the public discussion has developed as of late, I don’t believe that this time is this coming March.”
Roof hopes the city can revisit the measure on a future ballot.
Burlington last considered noncitizen voting in 2015, but the measure failed at the polls. Proponents of Roof’s measure were optimistic that voters would pass it this year in reaction to President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant stance.
Two noncitizens interviewed by Seven Days earlier this month said they’d appreciate having a say at the ballot box in city matters. Other Burlingtonians, including some prominent Progressive immigrants, said Roof didn’t do enough to reach out to immigrants and involve them in the discussion.
“Those who are affected have not shown up,” Dieng said.
Councilor Perri Freeman (P-Central District) said she hopes noncitizen voting can be revisited and appreciates the opportunity for more dialogue.
“I definitely don’t want people to be voting on something that they’re not really clear on what they’re voting on,” she said.
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Amazing how the sponsor pretends voters are too stupid to understand what non-citizen voting is.
“City Councilor Adam Roof, who championed the ballot item, said it became clear ‘there was a growing level of misunderstanding and confusion’ about noncitizen voting.
Why, sure, voters are too simple to grasp the concept.
Roof, who barely held onto his council seat in the most recent election, is actually the one who is confused.
Only finally did he realize that lobbying for non-citizen voting was so unpopular that it would have been his political death knell.
That is really why he pulled it.
Make no mistake on who was “confused” by – and who “misunderstood” the political reality of – the unpopularity of non-citizen voting.
Being in power is harder than it looks…
Here’s the quote:
“City Councilor Adam Roof (I-Ward 8), who championed the ballot item, said it became clear “there was a growing level of misunderstanding and confusion” about noncitizen voting. Some people assumed the ballot item would afford voting rights to undocumented residents, Roof said. Instead, it would have allowed those who come to the country legally but are not citizens to vote in municipal elections.”
So – you got people who are legally here – new arrivals, not yet citizens (the process takes years) and undocumented residents, who aren’t here legally, and don’t vote. People did get confused. Ted did.
Adam was clearing it up, I thought.