Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Noncitizens From Voting in Vermont Elections

A new lawsuit says that noncitizens voting in elections in Burlington, Vermont, violates the state’s Constitution and should be stopped. Burlington in 2023 started letting people who are not U.S. citizens but are legal residents to register and vote in local elections. Any noncitizen “who resides on a permanent or indefinite basis in compliance with federal immigration laws” is allowed to vote in the elections under the amendment to Burlington’s charter. Those elections include votes for school board members, who approve the city’s education budget. School budgets and funding are statewide issues, and Section 42 of the Vermont Constitution states that Vermont voters must be citizens of the United States, the new suit says....