This’ll Make The Nativists Crazy

[DonViejo]

NYC Considering Allowing Non-Citizens To Vote

HUNTER WALKER MAY 9, 2013, 7:32 AM

New York City could soon become the first major city in the country to give non-citizens the right to vote. The proposal, which would allow certain non-citizens to vote in local elections, appears to have a veto-proof majority in the New York City Council — enough to overcome opposition by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. As hearings on the proposal get underway Thursday, supporters are optimistic it will become law by the end of the year and believe it will have an impact beyond the five boroughs.

“It’s going to be huge and just imagine the implications that are involved here,” Councilman Daniel Dromm, one of the co-sponsors of the legislation along with Councilwoman Gale Brewer, told TPM Wednesday.

Currently, citizenship is a requirement for voters throughout New York state. This legislation, “Voting By Non-Citizen Residents,” would allow immigrants who are “lawfully present in the United States” and have lived in New York for “six months or longer” on the date of a given election to vote provided they meet all the other current requirements for voter registration in New York State. This means they must “not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction” and “not be declared mentally incompetent by a court.” For their first time voting, they must also provide identification including; “copy of a valid photo ID, current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or some other government document that shows your name or address.” Identification requirements would not remain after their initial vote. The bill only affects local races and calls for the registration forms provided to these “municipal voters” to specify that they “are not qualified to vote in state or federal elections.”

“This is extremely important, because it’s based on the founding principle of this country and that was, ‘No Taxation Without Representation.’ All of the people who would be included in this and would be allowed to vote are paying taxes, they’ve contributed to society,” Dromm said.

full article
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/05/nyc-council-law-allowing-immigrants-to-vote.php?ref=fpb

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. Oh, that's wonderful!!!

Their heads shall explode. More Democratic voters!!!

[CTyankee]

2. do I ever love this...

It seems to me that if you want to have your immigrants MORE invested in the American way of life, you would make this accommodation in local politics which controls a lot of what the people locally do and how they are governed.

However, I would probably add a restriction: I would say that immigrants should be in a process to become citizens before they would be allowed to vote in municipal elections. I think that is fair. However, I am mindful of restrictions on access to citizenship and would like to see that path smoothed.

[ZombieHorde]

3. Bwahahaha! nt

[okaawhatever]

4. Many tp states are making stupid laws to give authority to the state, and say cities can't

override it. It is one of the greatest forms of political abuse. In North Carolina, one of the places advancing it, it would be tantamount to additional segregation. It says you can't make environmental laws in cities that override the state. Guess where the next toxic waste treatment is going to end up? In the poor or minority neighborhood? If the article isn't up here i'll post it.

[Sunlei]

5. all residents should be able to vote on their community leadership.