Michigan State University’s student government has passed two resolutions demanding that state and local governments allow non-citizens and minors to vote in elections, adding that minors are “now interested in the political process.”
The student government at Michigan State University (MSU) passed two resolutions last week, calling for state and local governments to allow non-citizens, as well as minors, to vote in future elections.
The first resolution (55-23) argues that non-citizens should be able to vote in elections, because they can be affected by policies while living in Michigan.
“There is estimated population of 48,844, including a 12.68% non-U.S. citizen population,” states resolution 55-23, “Michigan State University has total of 7,266 international students on campus.”
“Eleven local governments around the country allow non-citizens to vote in their local elections, including ten in Maryland and one in California,” continued the resolution, “Current Michigan statute forbids non-citizens from voting in municipal elections.”
MSU’s student government has vowed to “advocate for the state of Michigan to allow for municipalities to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections,” adding that they will work with East Lansing’s local government “to promote the voice and views of non-citizens,” once the “necessary changes” are made to Michigan’s election law.
“Voting rights to non-citizens is something I can agree with — America is best if it becomes… pro-global,” said MSU student, Solomon Alvi, to The Morning Watch.
However, not all students were in agreement.
“The idea to have non-citizens voting in local or state elections is absurd, and I cannot believe that it is a serious resolution passed by my university’s student government,” said MSU’s Turning Point USA vice president, Annaclare Censoni, to Breitbart News.
“Voting is a right reserved for American citizens, not those who come here illegally, are visiting, or live here temporarily,” added Censoni.
James Madison College Conservative president, Adam Green, told Breitbart News that he viewed the resolution as outlandish, and a “mendacious way for [student government] to showcase their inclusivity.”
“I think it’s a slap in the face to legal immigrants who desperately fought for their right to vote and earn citizenship in this country,” added Green.
In the second resolution (55-24), MSU’s student government calls on state and local governments to allow minors to vote, simply because “many people have their final civics class in high school,” and are “now interested in the political process.”
“The ASMSU Office of Governmental Affairs will advocate for a change to state statute to allow municipalities to change local laws to allow for citizens younger than 18 to vote in municipal elections,” reads the resolution, adding that they prefer to see the voting age lowered to sixteen.
An MSU alumni identified as R. George Dunn, told The Morning Watch that the voting age should have never been dropped to eighteen in the first place.
“Voting should be curtailed and it should also be held as our most sacred right and protected from any fraud,” said Dunn, who also mentioned that he was once a socialist in the 1970’s, but is no longer one today.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo and on Instagram.
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