20.184 An Order Amending the Charter to Allow Resident Non-Citizens to Vote in Municipal Elections FINALCity of Northampton
MASSACHUSETTS
In City Council, January 7, 2021
Upon the recommendation of the Charter Review Committee
20.184 An Order Amending the Charter to Allow Resident Non-Citizens to Vote in Municipal
Elections
Ordered, that
WHEREAS, In accordance with Section 10-6 of the City Charter and Chapter 9 of the Code of
Ordinances, in January 2019, the City appointed a Charter Review Committee;
and
WHEREAS, On December 12, 2019, the Charter Review Committee filed its Final Report with
the City Clerk; and
WHEREAS, the Charter Review Committee made recommendations for certain changes to the
City Charter; and
WHEREAS, The City Council wishes to authorize the Mayor to seek special legislation to
effectuate the recommended changes.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED
Voted, to petition the General Court to the end that legislation be adopted precisely as follows.
The General Court may make clerical or editorial changes of form only to the bill, unless the
mayor approves amendments to the bill before enactment by the General Court. The mayor is
hereby authorized to approve amendments which shall be within the scope of the general public
objectives of this petition.
AN ACT AMENDING THE SPECIAL ACT CHARTER OF THE CITY OF NORTHAMPTON TO ALLOW RESIDENT
NON-CITIZENS TO VOTE IN PRELIMINARY AND CITY ELECTIONS
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purposes, which is to improve the
governance of the city of Northampton, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law,
necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the
Authority of the same, as follows:
Chapter 277 of the Acts of 2012, shall be amended as follows:
SECTION 1. Amend article 8 by inserting as article 8-6 the following: “QUALIFICATION FOR VOTING.
Every resident of the city or, in the case of an election for ward councilor or ward school committee
member, every resident of the ward, whether a citizen or noncitizen, who is not otherwise disqualified
from voting under state law, shall be qualified to vote in all preliminary elections, special elections and
regular city elections.”, and by renumbering article 8-6 to 8-7 and article 8-7 to 8-8.