San Francisco opened voter registration to non-citizens this week, allowing all parents and guardians of children in the city's schools to register to vote in school board elections. (Photo: Steve Rhodes/Flickr/cc)
Advocates Applaud San Francisco's Limited Voting Rights for Non-Citizens as City Addresses Fears of Federal Response
"This is no-brainer legislation. Why would we not want our parents invested in the education of their children?"
San Francisco officials began registering non-U.S. citizens to vote in school board elections this week, reasoning that parents whose children are educated there should have a say in how the schools are run--but fears about the federal government's potential response to the new limited voting rights of non-citizens has led the city to enact a contingency plan.
"There's a lot of concern regarding the federal government obtaining the personal information of voters who would register as non-citizens," San Francisco Department of Elections Director John Arntz told KQED.
The city is responding to fears of the Trump administration targeting those with new limited voting rights by allocating $150,000 to the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigration Affairs for community outreach initiatives. The office will work with local immigration support groups to provide information and counseling to non-citizens who fear their participation in school board elections could be used against them.
San Francisco voters approved a ballot measure in November 2016, extending school board voting rights to all parents and guardians of children in city schools, provided they are not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction. The city's Board of Supervisors adopted the new law earlier this year.
One in three students in the city's schools come from immigrant families, according to KQED.
"This is no-brainer legislation," Hillary Ronen, a San Francisco supervisor, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Why would we not want our parents invested in the education of their children?"
The law makes San Francisco the first city in California to extend voting rights to non-citizens. Boston's City Council is currently considering its own initiative to allow immigrants with visas, permanent residents, and those living under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs to vote in local elections.
The Trump administration earlier this year added a question about citizenship to the U.S. Census, raising concerns among immigrant rights advocates that the federal government will use the information to target non-citizens.
While some in San Francisco may opt out of registering to vote for school officials, non-citizens and voting rights advocates celebrated the city's decision to make local elections more inclusive.
"At the end of the day, the choice is yours to assess that risk and to decide whether or not this is the right time for you to register to vote," San Francisco resident Ruiyi Lee told KQED. "The important thing is that right now, we actually have a choice to make, the right to choose."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
San Francisco officials began registering non-U.S. citizens to vote in school board elections this week, reasoning that parents whose children are educated there should have a say in how the schools are run--but fears about the federal government's potential response to the new limited voting rights of non-citizens has led the city to enact a contingency plan.
"There's a lot of concern regarding the federal government obtaining the personal information of voters who would register as non-citizens," San Francisco Department of Elections Director John Arntz told KQED.
The city is responding to fears of the Trump administration targeting those with new limited voting rights by allocating $150,000 to the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigration Affairs for community outreach initiatives. The office will work with local immigration support groups to provide information and counseling to non-citizens who fear their participation in school board elections could be used against them.
San Francisco voters approved a ballot measure in November 2016, extending school board voting rights to all parents and guardians of children in city schools, provided they are not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction. The city's Board of Supervisors adopted the new law earlier this year.
One in three students in the city's schools come from immigrant families, according to KQED.
"This is no-brainer legislation," Hillary Ronen, a San Francisco supervisor, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Why would we not want our parents invested in the education of their children?"
The law makes San Francisco the first city in California to extend voting rights to non-citizens. Boston's City Council is currently considering its own initiative to allow immigrants with visas, permanent residents, and those living under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs to vote in local elections.
The Trump administration earlier this year added a question about citizenship to the U.S. Census, raising concerns among immigrant rights advocates that the federal government will use the information to target non-citizens.
While some in San Francisco may opt out of registering to vote for school officials, non-citizens and voting rights advocates celebrated the city's decision to make local elections more inclusive.
"At the end of the day, the choice is yours to assess that risk and to decide whether or not this is the right time for you to register to vote," San Francisco resident Ruiyi Lee told KQED. "The important thing is that right now, we actually have a choice to make, the right to choose."
San Francisco officials began registering non-U.S. citizens to vote in school board elections this week, reasoning that parents whose children are educated there should have a say in how the schools are run--but fears about the federal government's potential response to the new limited voting rights of non-citizens has led the city to enact a contingency plan.
"There's a lot of concern regarding the federal government obtaining the personal information of voters who would register as non-citizens," San Francisco Department of Elections Director John Arntz told KQED.
The city is responding to fears of the Trump administration targeting those with new limited voting rights by allocating $150,000 to the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigration Affairs for community outreach initiatives. The office will work with local immigration support groups to provide information and counseling to non-citizens who fear their participation in school board elections could be used against them.
San Francisco voters approved a ballot measure in November 2016, extending school board voting rights to all parents and guardians of children in city schools, provided they are not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction. The city's Board of Supervisors adopted the new law earlier this year.
One in three students in the city's schools come from immigrant families, according to KQED.
"This is no-brainer legislation," Hillary Ronen, a San Francisco supervisor, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Why would we not want our parents invested in the education of their children?"
The law makes San Francisco the first city in California to extend voting rights to non-citizens. Boston's City Council is currently considering its own initiative to allow immigrants with visas, permanent residents, and those living under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs to vote in local elections.
The Trump administration earlier this year added a question about citizenship to the U.S. Census, raising concerns among immigrant rights advocates that the federal government will use the information to target non-citizens.
While some in San Francisco may opt out of registering to vote for school officials, non-citizens and voting rights advocates celebrated the city's decision to make local elections more inclusive.
"At the end of the day, the choice is yours to assess that risk and to decide whether or not this is the right time for you to register to vote," San Francisco resident Ruiyi Lee told KQED. "The important thing is that right now, we actually have a choice to make, the right to choose."