Election and Immigration Law 投票與移民法

The mid-election of 2010 is around the corner and many campaign volunteers are going around to ask people to complete voter registration and vote for the candidate/party they support.  If you are not a U.S. citizen, please beware of this dangerous trap.

According to current law, only U.S. citizens are allowed to register and vote in a federal election in the United States.  In other words, even permanent residents (i.e., green card holders) are not allowed to vote in a federal election, including presidential and congressional elections.  If a non-citizen votes in a federal election, he/she is subject to deportation.  A New York Times Article published on October 15, 2010 reports that a legal permanent resident from St. Kitts is currently being placed under deportation proceeding for voting in presidential elections in the past.     

To muddy the waters, several municipalities allow legal permanent residents to vote in county or city elections.  State legislatures can also adopt their own set of eligibility rules on statewide elections.  Therefore, if you are a legal permanent resident and not a United States citizen, it may be wise for you to just stay at home and watch the elections on TV, unless the county office of where you reside have confirmed with you (preferably in writing) that you are eligible to vote as a non-citizen in a local election.  Doing so can protect you and your family from unnecessary hardship.

Disclaimer: Information included in this page does not constitute as legal advice and receipt of this page does not establish attorney-client relationship. For specific inquiries, please call my office and schedule an appointment.


2010年的中期選舉快將來到，很多不同的志願者都在馬不停蹄地為自己支持的候選人拉票及呼籲他人登記當選民。但是如果您不是美國公民，投票可以變成一個陷阱。

根據現行法例，只有美國公民可以在聯邦選舉中投票。換言之合法永久居民/綠卡持有人是不能在如總統或國會等聯邦選舉中投票。如果非公民在聯邦選舉中投票，他們有可能會被驅逐出境。紐約時報在十月十五日中便報導有一位來自聖基茨島的合法永久居民因為曾經在總統選舉中投票而面臨被驅逐出境的危險。

令情況更糟的是有一些地區及市政府容許非公民在地方市政府選舉中投票。另一方面，各州政府可以自行訂立州政府選舉的選民資格。因此，如果您並不是美國公民，除非您得到您所居住的郡政府的確認(最好是書面的確認)，您可以在某次選舉中投票，否則您應該留在家中，避免投票及因投票而惹來的問題。

以上資料僅供參考之用，並非法律意見。如有個別問題，請致電本人查詢。