A New York state appeals court on Wednesday struck down a law that would have permitted non-citizens to vote in local New York City elections. The Appellate Division for the Second Judicial Department, in a 3-1 decision, declared the law unconstitutional and in violation of the Municipal Home Rule Law, stating it “must be declared null and void.”
Passed by the City Council in December 2021, the law aimed to create a new category of “municipal voters.” This group would include non-citizens residing in the city for at least 30 days before an election, allowing them to vote in elections for key city positions such as mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and council member. An estimated 800,000 individuals would have become eligible to vote under this law in a city with a population of approximately 8.5 million.
However, the appellate court’s ruling highlighted that the New York Constitution expressly states “every citizen shall be entitled to vote…” thereby implicitly excluding non-citizens from the right to vote in elections.
The law, which Mayor Eric Adams enacted upon taking office in January 2022, was quickly challenged in court and deemed illegal. Despite the setback, Adams continued to defend it and sought an appeal against the initial ruling, which has now also been rejected.
The debate over the law has been sharply divided along political lines. Democrats have argued that the law would make New York City’s political landscape more inclusive. Republicans have raised concerns about potential voter fraud and accused Democrats of attempting to increase their voter base.
The ruling arrives amid a surge in migrants to New York City, which has increased crime and resident frustration. Mayor Adams has warned that the influx is pushing the city to its “breaking point,” straining city resources and shelter services – but he still wants them to be able to vote. Go figure.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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2 Responses
The proponents of this law also know it’s insane and don’t care because they think that they’ll give them free credit cards and these ppl will vote for them.
So because they want to stay in power they propose insane laws.
The headline is a double lie. Not only is the law perfectly sane, it also does not allow illegals to vote. Read the article and it says not one word about illegals. That was the YWN headline writer’s own invention. Remember that AP does not write the headlines; YWN does that, and this one is an outright lie.
There is no reason why alien residents should not be allowed to vote in local elections. They pay taxes, and they are bound by the laws, so why are they not entitled to a say in setting those taxes and making those laws? There is no national security implication, because the city has no power over foreign or military policy.
And the court’s decision is ridiculous and dishonest. The constitution merely guarantees that citizens do have the right to vote. It does not in any way imply that ONLY citizens have that right. If the city wants to give that right to other people as well, nothing in the constitution prevents it.