By The Associated Press via
NBC News
The Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, on Sunday allowed the bill to give the vote in local elections to non-citizens and dreamers to become law, which will give way to more than 800,000 people in New York have access to the polls and participate in the municipal elections next year.
Opponents have announced that they will challenge this new law, which the Municipal Council approved a month ago.
Unless a judge stops its enforcement, New York City thus becomes the first major city in the United States
to grant municipal voting rights across the
board to non-citizens.
More than a dozen communities in the United States already allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, including 11 cities in Maryland and two in Vermont.
Activists participate in a rally on City Hall steps ahead of a council vote to allow legal permanent residents to vote in mayoral elections. Mary Altaffer / AP
Non-citizens, however, would still be unable to vote in presidential elections and for members of Congress in federal races or in state elections in which
governor, judges and legislators are elected.
The Board of Elections should begin designing an implementation plan by July, including voter registration standards and provisions to
create separate ballots for municipal races,
to prevent non-citizens from voting in federal elections and state.
The measure would allow non-citizens, who have been lawful permanent residents of the city for at least 30 days, as well as those who have been authorized to work in the United States, including "dreamers," to help elect the mayor of the city. , the members of the council, the presidents of the municipality, the comptroller and the public defender.
The first elections in which non-citizens
would be allowed to vote would be in 2023
.
["The Kiss of Death": Why a Democratic Voting Bill Could Make Life Difficult for Immigrants Without Citizenship]
"We build a stronger democracy
when we include the voices of immigrants
," said former council member Ydanis Rodríguez, who led the push to get the legislation passed.
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Rodríguez, whom Adams appointed Commissioner of Transportation, thanked the mayor for his support and looks forward to his support and defense against any legal challenges.
Adams recently created uncertainty about the legislation when he raised concerns about the one-month residency standard, but later said those concerns
didn't mean he was going to veto the bill
.
Although it was doubted that Adams could stop the bill from becoming law, the 30-day deadline for it to take action expired at the stroke of midnight.
Adams said he hoped the law would bring millions more to the democratic process.
"
I believe that New Yorkers should have a say
in their government, which is why I have supported and will continue to support this important legislation," Adams said in a statement released Saturday night.
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He added that his previous concerns subsided after what he called
a productive dialogue with his colleagues
.
Opponents say the City Council itself lacks the authority to grant non-citizens the right to vote and that action by state legislators should have been sought first.
[Eric Adams wins Democratic primary for mayor of New York]
Some states, such as Alabama, Arizona, Colorado and Florida,
have adopted regulations that nullify any attempt to pass laws
like New York's.
