Here is why!
MIGRANTS AND VOTING
Migrants constitute a population that is bound by laws and policies over which they have limited control. Since the enactment of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, federal law has prohibited non-citizens from voting in federal elections. Non-citizens have not been allowed to vote in state elections since 1926 and presently only eleven local governments allow non-citizens to vote.
Non-citizen voting has been a contested topic across the globe. Concerns regarding the meanings of citizenship, shifts in political parties, and changes along political spectrums have been main points of discussion. Nevertheless, some countries have implemented a gradual structure that allows non-citizens to vote. For instance, in New Zealand, permanent residents can vote in national elections. In the Republic of Ireland, non-EU non-citizens can vote in local elections, while EU non-citizens can vote in European elections.
WHO’S YOUR CANDIDATE VOTING GUIDE
MIGRATION AND VOTING
Our “Who’s Your Candidate – Migration Edition” voting guide is based on the premise that those subject to the law should be able to have a say in it. Because non-citizens are not allowed to vote in federal elections, our guide calls on the agency of those that can vote – citizens.
Migration has become an increasingly important topic in elections. In the 2016 presidential elections, migration policies and laws were one of the most discussed issues in debates. The partisan divide over migration was formative to the outcome of the last election and is taking center stage at the upcoming presidential election.
This increasing importance of migration as an election topic is not localized to the US, but rather presents a global phenomenon. Migration played a central role in the Brexit vote and has polarized politics across Europe. In Italy, for instance, the Five Star Movement, an anti-immigrant political party, won the popular vote in the 2013 federal elections and has since contributed to the right-turn of Italian politics.
WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE AND MIGRATION
Our voting guide was conceived in the context of the University of Portland’s Public Research Fellowship Program. In speaking to the program’s inaugural theme “Women’s Suffrage” and to celebrate 100 years of voting rights for women (with exceptions), our voting guide uses strategies of the suffragists to raise awareness about an issue that is highly debated, yet highly contested. Education was a key strategy in the suffrage movement. Our voting guide furthers knowledge on the presidential candidates’ past and current views on migration and allows voters to make informed decisions come election day.
MIGRATION AND OUR VOTING GUIDE
Our “Who’s Your Candidate – Migration Edition” voting guide consists of seven yes-or-no questions. By answering the questions, candidate(s) that best align with the user’s views on migration are generated. The guide provides an interactive way to learn about important issues in migration policy and law, while also revealing insights on the presidential candidates’ views on migration.
We hope that our voting guide furthers interest and advocacy on migration and migrant rights.
Migration Matters Postcard
