We do not support Question 4, which would change the city charter to allow noncitizens to vote in local races.

We are sympathetic to those who say that immigrants, who make up an increasing part of the city’s population, should play a bigger role in civic life.

But there are ways that they can do that without changing the long-established tradition of making citizenship a condition of access to the polls.

Advocates for members of the immigrant community would better spend their time helping newcomers who plan to make the United States their home work toward citizenship, rather than fight to win them only some of the rights that come with it.