In a huge win for election integrity, a New York state appellate court struck down as unconstitutional a New York City law that would have allowed more than 800,000 noncitizens to vote in municipal elections.
“We determine that this local law was enacted in violation of the New York State Constitution and Municipal Home Rule Law, and thus, must be declared null and void,” wrote Justice Paul Wooten of the 2nd Judicial Department in the 3-1 majority opinion.
The ruling effectively upholds a lower court’s decision to strike down the controversial law, by which the “sanctuary city” had “created a new class of voters eligible to vote in municipal elections consisting of individuals who are not United States citizens.”
This week’s ruling was closely watched and celebrated by election integrity advocates nationwide. Among them was the Public Interest Legal Foundation, which has filed a similar federal lawsuit against the New York City Board of Elections. That complaint alleges the suspect law violated the 15th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which ensures the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged … on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
Public Interest Legal Foundation president J. Christian Adams said the ruling “marks an important step to stop foreign interference in New York City’s elections.”
‘A Person Who Is Not a U.S. Citizen’
In December 2021, Gotham’s government passed a bill with the hefty title, “A Local Law to amend the New
