Mayor proposes letting non-citizen immigrants vote

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The mayor of Maine’s largest city wants to allow legal non-citizen immigrants to vote in municipal elections.

The Portland Press Herald reports (https://bit.ly/2jBGHw1 ) Mayor Ethan Strimling is proposing the change as part of a series of progressive policy initiatives. The City Council meets Jan. 23 and will need to give the green light for the plan to move forward. It may also need legislative approval.

Immigration advocates are backing the change. Sue Roche of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project says it can take years for legal immigrants to receive citizenship but that people with legal status deserve a say in their local elections.

Portland voters rejected allowing non-citizen immigrants to vote in a 2010 ballot measure.

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Information from: Portland Press Herald, https://www.pressherald.com