While the D.C. Council considers allowing non-citizens to vote in elections, some say undocumented immigrants should be able to vote as well.
“Yes, I agree with that because they still help make half the population here. They work. Their kids go to our schools, you know, they have health and everything. Yes, I think they should get a right to make a decision,” a D.C. resident told PJ Media.
She was also asked if illegal immigrants should be allowed to vote in federal elections.
“Their word counts for us. I mean, what they say and do, it still counts, whether it’s for us or against us. Yes, they’re people so their words should matter,” she said.
Another D.C. resident said undocumented immigrants should be allowed to vote because everyone deserves equal rights.
“I don’t mind. They’re here now. They’ve probably been here maybe over five years and at this point, they’re citizens now. They should pay taxes. They should be able to vote and things of that nature because they’re in the work in progress of America,” he said.
“They’re also in Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital and having good jobs – some of the jobs other people could have but, well, that’s for some people that are already here as citizens. So, I mean, it’s a two-way street with that, but I’m not too concerned about it. I think it should be equal things for everybody.”
Others shared the same perspective.
“I think it’s fine. I don’t know why we cannot do that, man,” an immigrant living illegally in the U.S. said.
“I think it should be a good idea because they are going to get more votes and I mean, I’m from Mexico, and I would say I’m illegal here, and if they allow me to vote, I would do that. I don’t mind and I can have a chance to say I will vote for this guy because I think he is going to do something good for my community,” he added.
Some said only U.S. citizens should be permitted to vote.
“They’re not citizens of the United States and they should not vote,” a tourist from Texas said.
A Virginia resident agreed, saying, “I think you have to be documented and a citizen to vote.”
A D.C. resident said allowing undocumented immigrants to vote would be payback for the wrongdoings of the past.
“I’ll say no — but to be honest, this country is not really founded on many good principles anyway, so it’s kind of like payback for the wrongdoing that’s been done in the past,” he said.
“It’s almost unfair for rule-breakers to enforce rules when the ground that they’re standing on wasn’t necessarily, they didn’t necessarily get what they have in the correct way in the first place.”
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