City Councilor Pious Ali Supports the Resolution as does Mayor Ethan Strimling.

The Portland Board of Education will hold a workshop tomorrow, Tuesday, August 7th, regarding a proposal that the board pass a noncitizen voting resolution. The workshop will begin at 6:00 pm in the city council chambers at city hall.  A public hearing on the resolution will take place at the board’s business meeting immediately following the workshop.

If passed, the school board’s resolution would school a city council proposal to submit to Portland voters a city charter amendment that would allow non-citizen legal residents of Portland to vote in municipal elections.  The council is expected to take up the charter amendment recommendation at its August 13 meeting.

City councilor Pious Ali approached school board members about the need to advance civic engagement by the families of Portland public school students who are not able to engage as voters in key matters that affect the city and its schools.  This measure is allowed in some US cities and in numerous other countries, including Canada.