The New York City Council passed legislation that will allow legal permanent residents, authorized workers, and Deferred Action recipients (DACA) to exercise their right to vote in local elections.
On December 9, the New York City Council passed legislation that seeks to extend voting rights in the city, opening the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of legal non-citizens to participate in local elections. The bill was approved with 33 votes in favor, 14 against and two abstentions.
The new law will allow legal permanent residents, authorized workers, and DACA recipients to vote for the city, city council members, district presidents, comptroller, and public defender. In New York City, there are about 900,000 immigrants of voting age. An important figure considering the 7 million adults who reside in New York.
“It is no secret, today we are making history. 50 years later, when our children look back at this moment, they will see a diverse coalition of advocates coming together to write a new chapter in New York City history by empowering immigrant New Yorkers with the power of the ballot. ” Councilor Ydanis Rodríguez, one of the promoters of the law, explained in a statement.
There are currently 13 communities in the United States that allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, 11 of them are located in Maryland and two in Vermont. However, New York would give the right to vote to the largest number of non-citizens for a single city.
People eligible to vote will be able to register from December 9, 2022, to participate in the local elections on January 9, 2023.
