MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Should noncitizens be allowed to vote in municipal elections? That question was at the center of arguments heard Wednesday by the Vermont Supreme Court.
The court heard appeals from conservative nonprofit Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections on behalf of two Burlington residents. They argued that since municipal elections include school budgets — which are funded by the state — it violates the Vermont Constitution, which says only U.S. citizens can vote on any matter that concerns the state.
“All of these school budgets fund the statewide appropriation, and therefore the statewide tax burdens. So, whereas they’re deciding what they’re going to spend, that is not something that’s isolated in a vacuum,” said James Hasson, speaking for the plaintiffs.
Burlington’s attorney, Erik Ramakrishnan, countered that communities don’t control the broader funding scheme. “This court said that communities have no control over the scheme. Communities aren’t the ones deciding what types of impacts their decisions will have on the state as a whole. The General Assembly has decided that,” Ramakrishnan said.
The city amended its charter in 2023 to allow anyone who is not a U.S. citizen but is a legal resident to vote in all local elections. The Vermont Supreme Court previously upheld similar voting rights in Montpelier and Winooski.
