The Republican National Committee (RNC) has filed a lawsuit against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the New York City Council, and the New York Board of Elections after the city passed a law permitting non-citizens to vote in local elections.
According to the suit, the law in question would create “a new class of persons called ‘municipal voters’ who are non-citizens who are either lawful permanent residents or persons authorized to work in the United States, who except for their lack of United States citizenship would be qualified to register to vote.”
“The Non-Citizen Voting Law is intended to, and will, cause an abrupt and sizeable change to the makeup of the electorate, which will force the elective-officeholder Plaintiffs to change the way that they campaign for office and will materially affect their likelihood of future electoral victory,” the suit continued.
Under the legislation, which automatically became law under Mayor Adams, roughly 800,000 non-citizens and dreamers can cast a ballot in local elections in 2023, the year the law will take effect. However, non-citizens would not be able to vote in federal or state elections.
The Board of Elections plans to establish voter registration rules and provisions that create a separate ballot for municipal races, preventing noncitizens from participating in other elections.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel blasted New York City Democrats, saying, “If Democrats can subvert elections this flagrantly in America’s largest city, they can do it anywhere.”
“American elections should be decided by American citizens,” McDaniel said, announcing the suit. “If Democrats can subvert elections this flagrantly in America’s largest city, they can do it anywhere. The RNC is suing to protect the integrity of our elections, and we stand ready to do the same wherever Democrats try to attack the basic security of your ballot.”
If the court upholds the law, New York City would become the first major city in the county to allow non-citizens to participate in widespread municipal voting.
