Lots of legislation in New York City is turning heads in recent days – from 17 ounce soda bans to limits on how much salt restaurants can use. But the Big Apple’s latest bill up for consideration, and likely to pass, would allow non-U.S. residents residing in New York City to vote in city elections.
Yes, really. If the “Voting by Non-Citizen Residents” legislation passes, and according to the New York Daily News it has the votes to do so, immigrants will get to cast ballots and influence municipal elections in New York City. The City Council Committee on Immigration and the Committee on Government Relations are scheduled to take up the measure tomorrow in a joint hearing.
While Mayor Bloomberg has been a proponent of the head-scratching, nanny-state policies restricting soda and salt freedom (and subsequent laughing stock of conservatives everywhere) the liberal mayor has sense enough to oppose the current non-citizen voting rights proposal.
“Voting is the most important right we are granted as citizens and you should have to go through the process of becoming a citizen and declaring allegiance to this country before being given that right,” Mayor Bloomberg said via a spokeswoman.
But the City Council claims they have enough support, 34 of the 51 council members’ support, to override the mayor’s likely veto.
Supporters of the legislation argue that non-citizens deserve the right to vote because “taxation without representation” is a “founding principle of this country” argues Councilman Daniel Dromm, the bill’s co-sponsor. “All of the people who would be included in this and would be allowed to vote are paying taxes, they’ve contributed to society,” he told Talking Points Memo.
I’m not so sure that “taxation without representation” argument will get a lot of sympathy from the U.S. citizens residing in Washington D.C.
If this proposal passes, New York City will be the first major U.S. city to pass such legislation allowing lawful immigrants to vote in municipal elections. Dromm introduced the bill in 2010, but it only received the support of 8 council members.
