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A recent article by political scientist Hannah Alarian of the University of Florida examines the impact of local immigrant voting rights on citizenship. The article offers compelling evidence that granting non-citizens the right to vote in local elections can significantly increase their naturalization.

“If a goal of democracy is to increase citizenship, we have to start looking at new ways to do that,” said Alarian. “This research challenges the conventional wisdom that granting political rights to immigrants undermines the incentives for naturalization.”

The article examined Spain’s 2011 local elections, the first in which some non-European Union immigrants were allowed to vote and compared how many of those individuals later became citizens. The research was then expanded to include data from 21 European countries and 131 different immigrant groups between 2007 and 2014.

“The popular thought is that the carrot, or reward, should come after an individual goes through the process to become a citizen, but in looking at the data, I found the opposite was true,” Alarian said.

The findings showed that where immigrants were given local voting rights, they were more likely to naturalize. Alarian explained she also found that being able to vote locally made immigrants feel more connected to their new country. Serving as a gateway to immigrant integration, having the right to vote increased their desire to become citizens.

“When immigrants are allowed to participate in local elections, it helps signal inclusion. Individuals gain a stake in the system, which increases their engagement,” she added.

This more nuanced approach of inclusivity is what may make the difference in promoting citizenship, said Alarian.

Although not prohibited by federal law, no U.S. state currently allows noncitizens to vote in state elections.  There do exist, however, pockets of municipalities that allow it at the local level. San Francisco, for example, permits resident noncitizen parents to vote in school board elections, and Washington D.C. recently passed a law allowing noncitizen residents to vote in all non-federal elections.

“Local suffrage can be a powerful tool to promote the integration of immigrants, helping them become more engaged and connected to their communities. This research opens new doors for understanding the relationship between voting rights and immigrant naturalization.”

The full paper, “Local Suffrage Increases Citizenship Acquisition: Evidence from the European Union,” has been published by The Journal of Politics.