Citizen participation in governance is the bedrock of U.S. democracy. Americans have a fundamental right to choose who represents them; this principle is one of the chief reasons our nation has evolved into the global economic and military leader it is today. Recent attempts by New York City progressives to undermine this principle by extending […]
Citizen participation in governance is the bedrock of U.S. democracy. Americans have a fundamental right to choose who represents them; this principle is one of the chief reasons our nation has evolved into the global economic and military leader it is today.
Recent attempts by New York City progressives to undermine this principle by extending voting rights to non-citizens have been rightfully shut down by the courts. It is extremely disappointing to see yet another desperate attempt to undermine our democracy for political purposes play out in the state Court of Appeals.
In 2022, New York City’s Democratic-led council approved a measure allowing non-citizens the right to vote in municipal elections. Fortunately, Republican opposition helped fuel the law’s defeat, but now Democrats are fighting to reverse that ruling. The measure is a terrible idea in practice and clearly violates the New York State Constitution, as noted by a mid-level court. Dragging this legal battle out further wastes taxpayer resources and is clear evidence advocates of this scheme have chosen partisan politics over sound electoral policy.
Proponents of non-citizen voting have tried to equate one month of living in New York state with full citizenship — 30 days of residency is all it takes to vote under the law as passed. This is an affront to immigrants who have taken the important step to formalize their citizenship, pledge their allegiance to the U.S., and commit to civic participation in our state and nation. Voting laws like the one proposed in New York City diminish and water down the effectiveness of our democratic republic and have no place in our state. Case in point, the potential for voter fraud becomes much greater when local races featuring non-citizen voting are printed on the same ballots as state and federal races; it would be nearly impossible to know which ballots to disqualify under those circumstances.
Being a citizen of the U.S. carries inherent meaning and value, and becoming a citizen is an incredible privilege. For those who want to become a citizen of the U.S., I offer my support and admiration. The pathway for an immigrant to gain citizenship is not always easy, but there are important reasons for instituting formal requirements. Ignoring those requirements is both disrespectful and dangerous.
The Assembly Minority Conference will continue to stand in opposition to any law that weakens our democracy. I truly hope the state Court of Appeals swiftly ends this waste of time, energy, and legal resources and strikes down this assault on U.S. election law once and for all; anything less would be an insult to our state and our nation.
William (Will) A. Barclay, 56, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.
Will Barclay
