New York City’s Noncitizen Voting Law Is Struck Down

Last year, the New York City Council passed legislation that allows non-citizens who have lived in the city for at least 30 days and are legal permanent residents in the US to vote in city elections for mayor, public advocate, the borough president, and city council. The law also applies to green card holders, individuals with workers' permits, and DACA holders.

The law was set to go into effect on January 2023.

Fortunately, a group affiliated with the Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit challenging the legislation.

Over 800,000 non-citizens would become eligible for voting rights if this new law takes effect.

The lawsuit also stated that "by dramatically increasing the pool of eligible voters, the Non-Citizen Voting Law will dilute the votes of United States citizens, including the plaintiffs in this action”

New York’s State Supreme Court Justice Ralph Porzio, based in Staten Island,  struck down the legislation in a ruling calling it illegal and stating that it violates the state constitution, which only provides for citizens to vote.

The ruling states the following:

"There is no statutory ability for the City of New York to issue inconsistent laws permitting non-citizens to vote and exceed the authority granted to it by the New York State Constitution. Though voting is a right that so many citizens take for granted, the City of New York cannot "obviate" the restrictions imposed by the constitution,"

New York City Law Department spokesperson Nicholas Paolucci said:

"This is a disappointing court ruling for people who value bringing in thousands more New Yorkers into the democratic process. We are evaluating the next steps," 

New York City Public Advocate and gubernatorial primary candidate Jumaane Williams also running for governor took to Twitter to say the following: 

"Today, the state Supreme Court seeks to once again revoke that right and disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of permanent New York City residents from having a voice in the decisions that shape our city -- and choosing the leaders who make those decisions,"

The ruling comes at the apt time,  a day prior to the first of New York's primary days this year. State offices including governor, attorney general, and lieutenant governor, will be among those on the ballot.

This is merely another example of how the left is waging war against the fundamentals and values upon which the US is founded.

Citizenship is a contract between an individual and a state. The citizen has certain fundamental duties and rights.

The citizen has a right to participate in the process of governance and law-making.  Since all citizens cannot govern and pass laws simultaneously, they elect representatives to work on their behalf to whom they lend their power via their vote.

The citizen's vote decides who governs the city, state, and country.  The vote also decides who makes laws and who represents them.

Alongside rights, there are duties that a citizen must perform. Among the foremost duties of the citizen is obeying the laws and payment of taxes which are used for the maintenance of the state. 

But those fundamental rules are now under attack.

Once upon a time, the Democrats resorted to expediting the process of citizenship to increase their voter base. At least there was some semblance of regard for laws. That pretext no longer exists, they are blatant in the approach. They are misusing the system to reinterpret legality.

The Democrats realize that they have lost in the arena of public ideas. The only way the Democrats can win electoral contests is to either rig the contest to tilt the playing field emphatically in their favor.

The Democrats believe that every new voter will add to their base and ensure they have permanent control over the government. 

They have already succeeded in New York and California where the Democrats have a monopoly on power. The only contest that occurs in these states is among the left, the far left, and the socialists. The Democrat primary contest is the sole decider of the electoral contest.  

The result is lawmakers such as AOC and governors such as Gavin Newsom. This explains why these states are plagued with crime, homelessness, crumbling infrastructure, and a struggling economy.

In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed a law prohibiting noncitizens from voting in federal elections, such as U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and presidential elections. Local elections are excluded from this law.

But, fifteen municipalities across the US allow noncitizens to vote in local elections as of January 2022. Eleven were located in Maryland, two were located in Vermont, one in San Francisco, California, and in New York City.

Make no mistake, the idea of allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections is merely a pilot project. The hope is to gradually move the Overton Window, in time they will demand this for federal elections. That truly will be the end of the nation.

It is essential that these sly little ploys such as the proposed law in New York, be nipped in the bud.

The GOP did well in New York by filing a lawsuit, hopefully, they keep a watchful eye elsewhere.

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