National Review
The New York Supreme Court on Monday struck down a recently passed law that allows non-citizens to vote in local elections. The New York City council passed a bill in December allowing legal residents, including those with green cards to vote in local elections beginning in 2023. The “Our City, Our Vote” bill became law in January. The law, which would’ve allowed an estimated 800,000 adults to vote for offices including mayor, was brought to the Supreme Court after Republican lawmakers filed a suit in the Staten Island Supreme Court. Staten Island Justice Ralph J. Porzio wrote that giving non-citizens the right to vote would require a referendum, according to the New York Times. “The New York State Constitution expressly states that citizens meeting the age and residency requirements are entitled to register and vote in elections,” Porzio wrote, according to the New York Daily News. “Though voting is a right so many citizens take for granted, the City of New York cannot ‘obviate’ the restrictions imposed by the Constitution,” he added.
