Winooski residents and public officials react to Governor Scott’s veto of non-citizen voting measure

After Vermont Gov. Phil Scott vetoed non-citizen voting measures in Winooski and in Montpelier, Winooski officials and residents said they weren’t surprised by the decision but are confident the measures will be passed when lawmakers return to the statehouse to attempt a veto override.

In his June 1 veto letter, Scott called for lawmakers to develop a statewide policy or comprehensive approach for noncitizen voting. But to some lawmakers who supported noncitizen voting measures, Scott’s veto came as a clear attempt to disregard the voices of the people of Winooski.

Noncitizen voting in Winooski, Vermont’s most diverse city, would enfranchise over 600 people, nearly 10% of the adult population, according to a 2017 survey.

Deputy Mayor Hal Colston, who also represents Winooski in the statehouse, asked if the veto was indicative of underlying equity issues. While he was not necessarily surprised by the veto, he said the veto defied long standing reverence for local control in the state, as the Vermont legislature has historically recognized the wishes of local communities.

Colston questioned Scott’s disregard for Winooski’s need for noncitizen voting, noting that the sudden veto “Makes you fill in the blanks. Like, is there fear? Is there fear of ‘other,’ is there fear that we're going to have a different complexion for the electorate?”

Despite the veto, Colston remained committed to fighting for noncitizen voting in Winooski. In light of the upcoming veto session, Colston said that he is “just resolute to fight for it, because I think it's the will of our community. And it should be honored.”

Rep. Taylor Small, who also represents Winooski, shared a similar commitment to overturning the veto. Small viewed the veto as “an undermining action for our municipal governments and elections.”

She looked forward to the upcoming veto session.

“It seems like we will only need to pick up one or two votes to be able to override the governor's decision, but truly it is about making sure that our legislators statewide are showing up for the veto section,” Small said.

If the veto is successfully overridden, Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott says that federal and state elections will have two separate ballots in the Onion city, with local items on a separate ballot.

On a whole, the inclusion of noncitizen voters in future elections will not be “A huge reversal in the way we've been doing things,” Lott said.

The opinion of Winooski officials like Deputy Mayor Colston and Rep. Taylor Small reflect the opinions of many Winooski voters. The measure passed in Winooski by a wide margin, 2,479 to 999 in the Nov. 2020 election.

21-year-old Tim Harrold, a Winooski resident, reflected on how the bill could support New Americans in Winooski.

“You might support it because of immigrant families or, you know, refugees are seeking asylum who aren't technically citizens who may be here for longer periods of time and should be a part of the decision making process as members of the community,” Harrold said.

On the other hand, Winooski residents like Harrold, also look at the issue from the perspective of Governor Scott and are concerned about the clarity of non-citizen voting measures.

“It's a tough issue, because non-citizen is a big blanket term. I personally do think that there should be some requiring and how long do you have to live in Winooski in order to qualify for that,” Harrold said.

However, Harrold still believes that a non-citizen voting measure would be an overall benefit for the city of Winooski.

“I do think it might change things for the better and more accurately represent the people's interests and the community's interests here,” Harrold said.

Even though some Winooski residents may be disheartened by Scott’s veto, lawmakers are expressing confidence they’ll be able to override the veto in a June 24 session.