‘Completely unnecessary’: Polarizing citizenship petition blasted during Worcester meeting

WORCESTER, Mass. — The Worcester City Council and dozens of residents on Tuesday night blasted a polarizing petition that calls for candidates running for citywide offices to show proof that they are a citizen of the United States.

The petition, filed on behalf of the Worcester Republican City Committee, would require proof of American citizenship from candidates seeking to hold office starting with the 2025 municipal election if adopted.

“I’m here tonight, as chair of the Worcester Republican City Committee, asking this council to enact an ordinance requiring anyone who is going to run for elected office in the city to prove their citizenship when requesting their nomination papers,” May Ann Carroll said. “To be a citizen of the United States you have the privilege to vote and run for elected office. Non-citizens are excluded from those privileges.”

The fiery meeting went on for nearly three hours with dozens of people speaking out against the petition, labeling it “completely unnecessary.”

“What we are seeing here is a completely unnecessary petition. It is already against the law for anybody to hold office without being a citizen,” one Worcester resident said. “Therefore we have to ask why this is being done. This is being done to finger immigrants, people who in many cases have fled from regimes.”

Following the public comments, councilors took turns speaking out against the petition.

The council ultimately voted 10-0 to end consideration or file the petition.

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