New York's top court to consider noncitizen voting in city elections
Source: Politico
02/10/2025 05:00 AM EST
ALBANY, New York — New York’s top court is set to consider whether documented noncitizens can vote in New York City elections — a legal battle that’s tailor-made to catch the eye of the Oval Office. The case, which will be argued Tuesday, could significantly reshape the city’s political landscape. Nearly a million potential voters would be allowed to participate in elections like mayoral contests if Democrats prevail.
A Democratic victory would also give plenty of red meat to Republicans. “It’s hard to discuss because it’s crazy it’s even an issue,” said state Sen. Andrew Lanza, a Staten Island Republican. “Citizens ought to vote; if you’re not a citizen of a country, you should not have a say.”
The legal fight in Albany is the latest front in the political battle over migrants — an issue central to President Donald Trump’s electoral victory last November. Trump and other Republicans have made the unfounded claim that noncitizens are illegally voting in large numbers, and eight states approved constitutional amendments in 2024 explicitly banning their ballots in local contests. But there has also been movement in the other direction. The District of Columbia Council passed a bill allowing noncitizen voting in 2022, and Burlington, Vermont, approved one in 2023.
New York City’s own measure became law in 2022. It would allow green-card holders and individuals with work permits who have lived in the city for at least a month to cast ballots in municipal elections. Republicans quickly challenged the law, and two lower courts have blocked it.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/10/ny-courtnoncitizen-voting-00203174
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