New York Judge Strikes Down Law Allowing Noncitizens to Vote in Local Elections

New York Judge Strikes Down Law Allowing Noncitizens to Vote in Local Elections
People vote during the Primary Election Day at P.S. 249 The Caton School in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn borough in New York on June 22, 2021. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Bill Pan
Bill Pan
Reporter
|Updated:
0:00

A New York Supreme Court judge ruled on June 27 that a recently passed New York City law that extends voting rights in municipal elections to noncitizens is unconstitutional.

In December 2021, the New York City Council passed the “Our City, Our Vote” measure in a 33–14 vote. It was signed into law by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio and took effect in January, allowing foreign nationals who legally reside and work in the city to register to vote at the municipal level. The law doesn’t apply to state or federal elections.