A victory celebration | Photo credit New York Immigration Coalition
NEW YORK – As many states across the country are working to reduce communities of color access to the ballot box, New York City opens a new era of the most inclusive democracy in the country.
The City Council passed Introduction 1867, the “Our City, Our Vote” (OCOV) bill on Thursday, Dec. 9. The bill would allow green-card holders, residents with work permits, and DACA recipients to vote in municipal elections in 2023. However, they must have lived in New York City for at least 30 days before an election.
City Council legislation passed with 33 votes in favor, 14 votes against, and 2 abstentions.
The legislation orders the Board of Elections to formulate a plan by July 2022 to facilitate non-citizen voting. Elections workers design separate ballots for non-citizens who cannot vote in state and federal elections.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has yet to sign Intro 1867 into law.
According to the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the city is home to 3.1 million immigrants. Approximately 56 percent are naturalized U.S. citizens. An estimated 622,000 are lawful permanent residents (green-card holders). These New Yorkers contribute millions of dollars in jobs, taxes, and revenue and are deeply affected by leadership decisions by their local elected officials. Extending the franchise to non-citizens, they would now have a say in local matters on the schools their children attend, the regulations that affect their livelihood, and the safety of their streets and homes.
“It is no secret, we are making history today. 50 years down the line when our children look back at this moment they will see a diverse coalition of advocates who came together to write a new chapter in New York City’s history by giving immigrant New Yorkers the power of the ballot,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez. “What we are doing here today is nothing new. The City of Tacoma Park in Maryland has been allowing non-citizens to vote in their municipal elections since the 1990s. 13 other Cities in Maryland, including California, and Illinois allow non-citizens the right to vote. It is time for New York City to take the baton. I want to thank The New York Immigration Coalition, United Neighborhood Houses, Speaker Johnson, Council Members Daniel Dromm, Margaret Chin, and Carlos Menchaca, and the Our City, Our Vote Coalition for all their support in getting this bill passed.
Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, a Democrat representing District 10, Washington Heights, in upper Manhattan, first submitted the legislation. Rodriguez has argued that the bill will give fair representation to non-citizens who contribute to the city through work and paying taxes.
Going into the City Council chambers yesterday afternoon to vote, the bill had a veto-proof majority of at least 35 out of 51 council members signing on as co-sponsors.
Two Council members, Robert Holden of District 30 in Queens and Rev. Ruben Diaz of District 18, The Bronx, both Democrats, opposed the legislation. Like some of their colleagues concerned about the minimum 30-day residency requirement and the legality of the bill, Holden said, “it’s absurd for somebody who’s non-citizens to establish residency in New York City for 30 days, and then you can vote in all municipal elecitons.”
In a letter to his constituents in November, Diaz wrote: “New York City, which is home to both the United Nations and Wall Street, could easily be taken over by any group of non-citizens who live here for 30 days and vote for the leader of their choice. Why would we ever make ourselves vulnerable to this kind of possible threat?”
Councilman Joseph Borelli, a Republican from District 51, Staten Island, said the bill “devalues citizenship, and citizenship is the standard by which the state constitution issues or allows for suffrage in New York state elections at all levels.”
New York Republicans have already threatened legal challenges to the bill, which they say could be unconstitutional. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has also indicated he thinks the bill will not survive a legal challenge but has said that he won’t attempt to veto it
“Today, we finally gave immigrant New Yorkers who raise their kids here, build our economy, and contribute to this vibrant city every single day a voice in their local democracy,” said Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition. “This groundbreaking legislation gives nearly one million New Yorkers a voice in the issues we all care about; the quality of our schools, the safety of our streets, and countless other large and small ways the city government impacts our lives.”
Added Awawdeh: “NYC can once again serve as a model for cities and counties across the country. When powerful forces lobby to restrict access to the ballot box and seek to turn our country back, New York can and must offer a strong reminder that our leaders don’t get to choose their voters. The voters choose who leads them.”
The Our City, Our Vote Coalition (OCOV), New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), United Neighborhood Houses, allies, and immigrant New Yorkers have worked for years to secure the passage of this historic legislation. In a statement, NYIC said this is “the most significant expansion of NYC’s democracy in over a century; today’s vote also marked a significant victory in the ongoing fight for voting rights across the country.”
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for more than 200 groups in New York State. United Neighborhood Houses (UNH) is a policy and social change organization representing 44 neighborhood settlement houses that reach 765,000 New Yorkers from all walks of life.
