Reply to Yes to young people and non US citizens to vote in local elections?

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Reply to "Yes to young people and non US citizens to vote in local elections?"

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[quote=Anonymous]I take the Declaration of Independence seriously when it says governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed, which would include not only citizens but also residents with evidence of long term attachment to the community. The Virginia Declaration of Rights states it this way:

"all men, having sufficient evidence of permanent common interest with, and attachment to, the community, have the right of suffrage and cannot be taxed or deprived of their property for public uses without their own consent or that of their representatives so elected"

For that reason, I'd extend it to green card holders for sure, and possibly other types of non-citizens. Historically, this wasn't uncommon in the US.

Obviously localities can't do this for federal elections, but I'd be in support of granting as much suffrage as possible for people who show that they intend to reside in the US for the long-term.

I feel less strongly about age. Obviously somewhere between birth and age, say, 25, you're able to participate fully. Whether that line is 18 or 16 feels pretty arbitrary. [/quote]

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