The new mayor of NYC says noncitizens should be allowed to vote.
What could possibly go wrong?
Up to one million noncitizens living in New York City will have access to the ballot box after Mayor Eric Adams (D) on Sunday approved legislation by the city council to automatically become law.
“I believe that New Yorkers should have a say in their government, which is why I have and will continue to support this important legislation,” Adams said in a statement Saturday, as seen by the New York Post.
“While I initially had some concerns about one aspect of the bill, I had a productive dialogue with my colleagues in government that put those concerns at ease. I believe allowing the legislation to be enacted is by far the best choice, and look forward to bringing millions more into the democratic process,” the Democrat continued.
Former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) however repeatedly cautioned the legislation will almost certainly be subject to a legal challenge for violating New York state law.
The law promises to be be a boon for the city’s massive 3.1 million-strong foreign-born population, which makes up almost 40 percent of its resident population, while at the same time diluting the municipal votes of millions of American citizens who live in the city.
Beneficiaries could vote in municipal elections as early as next year unless a judge halts its implementation. New York City is now the most populous city in the United States to grant voting rights to non-citizens.
More than a dozen communities across the U.S. already allow noncitizens to cast ballots in local elections, including 11 towns in Maryland and two in Vermont.
The Board of Elections will next draw up an implementation plan by July, including voter registration rules and provisions that would create separate ballots for municipal races to prevent noncitizens from casting ballots in federal and state contests.