College Park, Md., officials announced late Friday that the city will not allow non-citizens to vote in local elections after failing to reach the required number of votes to approve the city council’s proposal.
While the council voted in favor of the proposal by a 4-3 margin, a change to the city’s charter in June requires changes receive at least six affirmative votes, the city explained in a press release Friday night.
The charter amendment was thought to have passed on Tuesday. It would have allowed undocumented immigrants, green-card holders and immigrants with student visas vote in municipal elections.
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College Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn shared the update Friday night on Facebook, saying he did so with “a considerable degree of embarrassment and regret.”
City officials are now notifying College Park residents about the failure of the measure, following a heated exchange between council members and citizens at City Hall on Tuesday night.
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Several other cities in Maryland allow for non-citizens to vote in local elections, including the nearby Takoma Park and Hyattsville, outside of Washington, D.C.
The city council plans to discuss the issue at its next work session on Tuesday.