Voting by Non-Residents

ACLU intervention helped kill a bill that would have authorized the Town of Westerly to allow non-resident property owners to vote in certain town elections and serve on the Town’s finance board. The proposal was pushed by seasonal property owners who persuaded the Town Council to support the concept. The ACLU argued that whether a person is a resident or non-resident of the town, the Constitution does not allow discrimination in voting based directly on the criterion of property ownership where other non-property owners have similar interests. The bill's sponsor agreed to kill the legislation after it had passed the Senate in light of the constitutional issues raised.