The Big Apple’s controversial law allowing noncitizens to vote in city elections was struck down by the state’s highest court Thursday.
The New York Court of Appeals ruled 6-1 that the law — passed by the City Council in late 2021 — violated the state constitution.
“Whatever the future may bring, the New York Constitution as it stands today draws a firm line restricting voting to citizens,” the opinion states.
The ruling closes the matter in the state courts and dashes hopes by many lefty City Council members and advocates of the city’s 800,000 green card holders getting a voice in local elections.
Supporters had argued that noncitizens here legally should be able to vote because they pay taxes and make contributions to their communities.
But Republicans and other opponents viewed the law as a nonstarter, especially because the state constitution appeared to clearly limit voting to US citizens.
Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, in a statement issued shortly after the decision, argued that city leaders should concentrate on getting citizen New Yorkers to vote.
“With one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the country, our city needs to do more to engage working people who feel shut out of the process,” he said.
“Before expanding voting rights to noncitizens, we should focus on ensuring that more New Yorkers feel their voices matter. Too many hardworking people in this city have given up on politics because they believe the system doesn’t work for them.”
