ED SOURCE -- In San Francisco, voter participation among non-citizen parents has lagged since they were given the right to vote. Ron Hayduk, a professor at San Francisco State University with expertise in immigrant voting rights, said there is “no doubt” that fear over retaliation from federal authorities has deterred those individuals from voting.
Allowing non-citizen parents to vote could also improve the academic performance of their children, said Hayduk, the San Francisco State University professor. A body of research shows that increased parent involvement is correlated with greater academic achievements for students.
“Kids learn better if their parents are connected to their education process,” he said. “And that’s really across the board in academic studies. It’s an indisputable finding.”