Carrboro Officials: Let Illegal Immigrants Vote

RALEIGH, N.C. — Immigration is arguably the most controversial topic in American today.

Thousands of immigrants come to this country every year illegally. But some Carrboro town officials want to give those immigrants the right to vote.

“Immigration is a really positive thing,” Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton told NBC17. “Lots of immigrants make a really positive impact on our community.”

But, some say Chilton and Town Alderman John Herrera are going too far by proposing that non-citizens of the U.S. and the state be allowed to vote in local elections.

“We have tons of people who live in Carrboro from all over the world,” Chilton said. “India, China, Mexico, Europe, Russia and they do a lot of work at all different kinds of levels.”

However, the state constitution distinctly outlines the factors, which determine eligibility for voting: citizenship, age, residence and criminal record.

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