Charter committee urges pause on allowing noncitizen residents to vote; council asks for more outreach and options

Anne Malone, chair of the charter committee, told the city council the panel had examined whether “all legal South Burlington residents” should be able to vote in local elections and recommended the council not proceed at this time.

"Should all legal South Burlington residents be able to vote in local elections?" Malone asked at the start of her report, laying out the committee's outreach and legal review. The committee found it difficult to identify exact numbers of foreign-born noncitizen residents, flagged the logistics of separate local ballots and a separate checklist, and noted litigation in Burlington and other Vermont cities. The committee's formal vote was 4–3 against moving forward now.

Wendell Holden, speaking for the majority on the committee, said he had moved that the city "put this thing in the freezer and wait because for humanitarian reasons," citing concerns about exposing vulnerable residents in the current political climate. Other committee members and councilors emphasized the practical hurdles that remain—ballot design, records management, and translation services—if the council wants to pursue a charter change.

Councilors balanced moral support for expanding participation with pragmatic caution. One councilor said the city should avoid "knowingly tak[ing] on litigation" while another urged preparatory work so the city could act quickly if conditions change. The council asked the charter committee to continue limited work: draft options (including a city-only question versus city+school), prepare outreach and language-access plans, and report back after the Vermont Supreme Court rules in a related Burlington appeal.