The Municipal Right to Vote
There is no affirmative protection of the right to vote in the U.S.
Constitution. Certain states have implemented restrictive election
practices regarding voter registration, identification requirements and
the voting status of people with felony convictions. This leads to an
election system under which the status of a person's right to vote,
even in federal elections, depends on nothing more than the state in
which that person lives. The Municipal Right to Vote Intiative is an innovative approach that local governments can take to support the goal of an equal right to vote for local, state and federal elections. At the local level, governments may be able to allow non-citizens or people with felony convictions to vote for school board or city council. At the state level, local governments may be able to mitigate the effects of restrictive state laws by taking extra steps to help city residents comply with changes to state laws regarding identification requirements, polling locations or absentee ballot requirements. At the federal level, local governments may pass a resolution supporting a right to vote amendment in the U.S. Constitution.