RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago is home to more than 500,000 immigrants and enjoys, and benefits greatly from, the diversity and innovation that immigrants contribute to our City; and
WHEREAS, Chicago is a welcoming city that strives to empower immigrant communities;
and
WHEREAS, the Chicago Off ice of New Americans works to create economic development opportunities, protect community well-being, and improve access to city resources and services for our immigrant communities; and
WHEREAS, the Chicago New Americans Plan outlines civic engagement initiatives that the City will undertake, including an initiative to encourage civic participation; and
WHEREAS, All those living in Chicago, regardless of citizenship status, are affected by local and state governmental policies, legislation, and administrative decisions; and
WHEREAS, All residents, regardless of citizenship status, pay local taxes, but undocumented residents have diminished rights in the decision-making process on these taxes; and
WHEREAS, Local elections are considered non-State elections and are not subject to the citizenship requirement of the Illinois Constitution; and
WHEREAS, Since 1989, the City of Chicago has allowed noncitizens who are parents, legal guardians, or temporary custodians of Chicago Public Schools students to vote in local school council elections; and
WHEREAS, Several cities allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, including ten towns in Maryland, and San Francisco which allows noncitizens to vote in local school board elections; and
WHEREAS, Cities like Washington D.C. and New York City have introduced legislation within the past year to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections; and
WHEREAS, Granting noncitizens a vote in local elections, as well as full access to other privileges, protections and benefits enjoyed by citizens, is crucial to help the City of Chicago build a more inclusive society; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this twenty-third day of June, 2021, do hereby affirm our belief that the right of all adults to vote in local elections and to enjoy the other benefits of enfranchisement is an integral and essential aspect of our participatory democracy; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Thatwe declare, as a matter of City policy, that we oppose any legislative, administrative, or practical efforts that have the purpose or effect of disenfranchising residents of our City based on their citizenship status on matters affecting education, public safety or any other issue specifically of local concern or affecting the governance of any newly created Chicago institution.