Here’s a rare bit of non-terrible news: Boston’s non-citizens may soon get to vote in local elections, the Associated Press reported.
The Boston City Council Committee on Government Operations will hold a hearing Tuesday to discuss letting immigrants with legal status in America to make city elections more inclusive — just in time for the midterm elections.
This means legal permanent residents, visa holders and DACA or Temporary Protected Status residents could cast a ballot.
“The purpose of our local government… is to strengthen the ability of diverse, cultural, and linguistic communities to play an active role in the economic, civic, social and cultural life of the City of Boston,” said City Council President Andrea Campbell, who requested the hearing.
According to Campbell, 28 percent of Boston residents are foreign born—a total of 190,000 people. These people pay $116 million in state and local taxes, generating over $3.4 billion in spending.
Though the news might sound revolutionary to some, several cities in Maryland offer non-citizen voting. San Francisco also lets non-citizens vote in school board elections if their child attends a local public school.