"We value your money but not your vote": the (dis)enfranchisement of permanent residents and the right to vote in municipal elections
| dc.contributor.author | Larsen, Piper | |
| dc.contributor.examiningcommittee | Adams, Christopher (Political Studies) | en_US |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Wilkinson, Lori | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-05-03T16:12:21Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-05-03T16:12:21Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2023-04-26 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-03-24 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2023-03-24T20:37:18Z | en_US |
| dc.date.submitted | 2023-04-26T15:39:48Z | en_US |
| dc.degree.discipline | Law | en_US |
| dc.degree.level | Master of Human Rights (M.H.R.) | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Immigrants and individuals without permanent resident status make up 29.1 percent Winnipeg’s population (Census of Canada, 2022). In Winnipeg, and across Canada, permanent residents (PRs) and those with precarious status, do not have the right to vote in municipal elections. This paper investigates the possibility of granting PRs the right to vote in Winnipeg by drawing from recent examples within Canada and in the global north. I am guided by a comparative case study approach which allows me to identify, then compare and contrast, the municipalities that have already granted the right to vote to those who do not currently hold citizenship. Grounding itself in Anne Schneider and Helen Ingram’s social construction of target population, this paper examines the continued disenfranchisement of newcomers and imagines a more equitable policy landscape where all newcomers have the chance to vote in municipal elections. While Canada is celebrated multiculturalist deeply embedded policies on multiculturalism and inclusion, a large portion of our population is prevented from voting and having their voices be heard. This disenfranchisement is fundamentally inequitable and impedes integration. While permanent residents are not eligible to vote in most municipal elections, they are required by law to pay municipal, provincial, and federal taxes in exchange for access to city services such as the bus, libraries, or garbage and recycling services. Despite enjoying these municipal “perks”, not having a voice on municipal politics and decision making creates a sense of exclusion and inferiority, that although individuals without citizenship are abiding by the laws and using city services, they are not receiving the same rights as individuals with citizenship. Implementing the right to vote to all permanent residents not only promotes better integration, it may encourage the next generation of newcomers to run for political office. | en_US |
| dc.description.note | May 2023 | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1993/37330 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | en_US |
| dc.rights | open access | en_US |
| dc.subject | immigration | en_US |
| dc.subject | voting rights | en_US |
| dc.subject | newcomer policy | en_US |
| dc.subject | Canada | en_US |
| dc.title | "We value your money but not your vote": the (dis)enfranchisement of permanent residents and the right to vote in municipal elections | en_US |
| dc.type | master thesis | en_US |
| local.subject.manitoba | yes | en_US |