New York City lawmakers thought they could play constitutional hopscotch by letting 800,000 “non- citizens” vote in local elections. However, according to Just the News, the state’s highest court just slammed the brakes on that plan, reminding everyone that laws still exist – even in the Big Apple.
On Thursday, March 20th, the New York Court of Appeals ruled 6-1 that when the state Constitution says “every citizen shall be entitled to vote,” they are only referring to U.S. citizens.
Progressives (Dems) pitched the noncitizen voting law (NYC Local Law 11) in 2021 as a step toward inclusive democracy, but the court seems to prefer “legal” democracy instead. The conclusion? If New York City wants to reinvent voter eligibility, they will need to amend the state constitution first – not just scribble new rules in the margins.
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Chief Judge Rowan Wilson wrote about the ruling: “There is no known procedure for someone who is not a citizen of the United States to be a citizen of New York, and, even were there, Local Law 11 does not purport to enfranchise those persons.”
The leftist council passed Local Law 11 back in 2021, giving non-citizens a fast pass to the ballot box so they could vote for offices like mayor and city council – and citizens got to foot the bill for lawsuits that immediately ensued.
In a city where potholes remain unrepaired but the council has time to rewrite the definition of voter, the court just handed down a reminder: even in New York, laws don’t change just because you wish hard enough.
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