A New Twist on Immigrant Integration

In an era of nearly constant vitriol about the place and role of immigrants in the US and other rich countries, it is refreshing to see a different take on their role within specific communities. I refer specifically to Portland, Maine, which has a ballot initiative for next Tuesday's election which, if passed, would allow legal immigrants who are not US citizens to vote in local elections.

Portland residents will vote Nov. 2 on a proposal to give legal residents who are not U.S. citizens the right to vote in local elections, joining places like San Francisco and Chicago that have already loosened the rules or are considering it.

In San Francisco, a ballot question Nov. 2 will ask voters whether they want to allow noncitizens to vote in school board elections if they are the parents, legal guardians or caregivers of children in the school system.

Noncitizens are allowed to vote in school board elections in Chicago and in municipal elections in half a dozen towns in Maryland, said Ron Hayduk, a professor at the City University of New York and author of "Democracy for All: Restoring Immigrant Voting Rights in the United States."

"We have immigrants who are playing key roles in different issues of this country, but they don't get the right to vote," said Rwaganje, 40, who moved to the U.S. because of political strife in his native Congo and runs a nonprofit that offers financial advice to immigrants. Noncitizens hold down jobs, pay taxes, own businesses, volunteer in the community and serve in the military, and it's only fair they be allowed to vote, Rwaganje said.

The obvious objection to this is why someone who wishes to participate fully in the local community does not choose to become a US citizen. The answer provided by supporters of the Portland, Maine, measure is that:

To become a citizen, immigrants must be a lawful permanent resident for at least five years, pass tests on English and U.S. history and government, and swear allegiance to the United States.

Supporters of Portland's ballot measure say the process is cumbersome, time-consuming and costly. The filing fee and fingerprinting costs alone are $675, and many immigrants spend hundreds of dollars more on English and civics classes and for a lawyer to help them through the process.

Is that enough of a justification? The voters will tell us--stay tuned.

UPDATE: On November 2nd, the voters of Portland, Maine, rejected this measure by a 52-48 margin