Inmigrantes en la Ciudad de Frederick pagan impuestos y merecen el derecho a votar en elecciones MUNICIPALES // Schedule a vote for non-citizen voting rights in Frederick City NOW !
Frederick City Board of Alderman and Mayor
**ENGLISH BELOW**
- Todos los no ciudadanos deberían tener este derecho, no sólo aquellos que están “documentados”, porque el proceso para obtener la ciudadanía puede llevar muchos años y, a menudo, es muy costoso y complejo.
- Las elecciones locales pueden tener un impacto directo en la vida cotidiana de todos los residentes, incluido el acceso a los servicios, la vivienda y la educación. Por lo tanto, todos los residentes deberían poder opinar sobre esas cuestiones.
- Los residentes documentados e indocumentados pagan impuestos, por lo que deberían tener representación.
- Otras 14 ciudades en Maryland ya lo permiten: Frederick City debería unirse a las otras 14 ciudades de Maryland [Takoma Park, Barnesville, Hyattsville, Mt. Rainier...] que permiten el voto a los no ciudadanos.
ENGLISH VERSION
The RISE Coalition (Resources for Immigrant Support and Empowerment) is urging organizations and individuals to support non-citizen voting in Frederick City elections. Immigrants who live in the City deserve a voice in matters that affect them!
Take action now! Anti-immigrant voices are getting louder in trying to convince the City to not bring this recommendation to a vote. We are demanding that the City Council be courageous and bring this to a vote no later than September, to pass this as law, and have time to implement before the 2025 City election.
Here are some additional reasons to support voting rights for ALL non-citizens in Frederick City elections:
All non-citizens should be given this right, not only those who are “documented” because the process to achieve citizenship status can take many years and is often very expensive and complex.
Local elections can have a direct impact on the everyday lives of all residents, including access to services, housing, and education. Therefore, all residents should be able to have a say on those issues.
Documented and undocumented residents pay taxes, so they should have representation.
14 other cities in MD already allow this: Frederick City should join the 14 other Maryland towns [Takoma Park, Barnesville, Hyattsville, Mt. Rainier....] that allow non-citizen voting.
A:
Frederick City Board of Alderman and Mayor
De:
[Tu nombre]
Dear Board of Aldermen and Mayor of Frederick CIty,
We were deeply encouraged by the City Charter Review Commission's unanimous approval of a recommendation to allow all non-citizens, regardless of status, to vote in city elections. This reflected the overwhelming support for non-citizen voting demonstrated by diverse community members in dozens of public comments and letters to the Commission. We agree that all residents, whether citizens or non-citizens, should be allowed to vote in local elections because they are affected by the decisions made by city officials.
Now the ball is in your court. We are requesting that you add this to the City's agenda this Fall and take a vote in favor of non-citizen, all resident voting, in time to implement it for the 2025 City Elections.
Once this recommendation is passed as law, we will be joining over a dozen municipalities across the state to expand democracy to all those in our community. We'll be able to draw on their first hand experience to ensure adequate implementation.
Maryland is home to the first city in the country to pass non-citizen voting (Takoma Park) and thanks to that legacy, has more municipalities with non-citizen voting than any other state. Within the state, we have the institutional knowledge and experience to implement non-citizen voting efficiently, and in a way that mitigates risk of fraud or other complications.
We know that immigration is not a fixed status. Rather it is one that can continuously change as one becomes eligible for relief. Some immigrants, like applicants for asylum, U Visa (victims of egregious crimes) and DACA, may technically be undocumented but have strong cases that are simply awaiting adjudication, which can take over 10 years. Being an undocumented immigrant should not be equated as not being worthy of societal benefits. Immigration law is a mess that leaves thousands of people who are fleeing violence, persecution, poverty, and environmental disasters without any recourse in this country. Additionally, documented and undocumented residents pay taxes, from sales to income.
Voting fosters a sense of belonging and can have a direct impact on the everyday lives of all residents, including access to services, housing, and education Immigrants are neighbors who pay taxes, have children who attend school, who go to church or other religious services, who own businesses, own homes, live and work in our community every single day. They should have a say in the way their local government and the decisions that affect them everyday, works.
Thank you for your courageous and representative leadership,
RISE Coalition for Immigrant Justice