A faction of New York City Council members are aiming to provide citywide voting rights to hundreds of thousands, and potentially millions, of non-citizens living in the five boroughs.
The legislation would allow New York City’s eligible legal immigrants to vote in city elections, according to sources who spoke to the New York Daily News. The measure would be similar to that of San Francisco, California’s, law that allows non-citizens to vote in local school board elections.
Likewise, eligible legal immigrants would be allowed to vote in New York City mayoral elections, as well as city council races, public advocate elections, and to decide crucial city amendments.
New York City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan) told the Daily News that allowing non-citizens to vote in city elections is “about making democracy better.”
“It will invite anyone who wants to be a leader in this city to connect to these voters,” Rodriguez said, claiming to have 22 city council members who have already signed on to support the legislation, as well as the support of Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Already, New York Democrats are pushing a measure statewide that would automatically register to vote all eligible residents who apply for state driver’s licenses unless they check an “opt-out” box.
As of this year, illegal aliens are able to obtain driver’s licenses in New York, indicating that illegal aliens and non-citizens will only be excluded from the state voter rolls if they check the opt-out box before applying for a license.
Elected Democrats have argued there are safeguards in the legislation like mandating non-citizens and illegal aliens check the opt-out box.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.