A New York State Supreme Court judge on Monday overturned a law passed in December last year that allows 800,000 immigrants to vote in local elections, saying it violated the Constitution.
Judge Ralph J. Porzio thinks that the decision to allow foreigners to vote, approved by the New York City Council (legislature), should be approved in a referendum.
The measure, which will take effect in January of next year, will create the category of “municipal voters”: immigrants holding visas to reside and work in the United States can elect local authorities such as the mayor and Council representatives (equivalent). to members of parliament).
“The New York State Constitution provides that citizens who meet the age and residency requirements have the right to register and vote in elections,” the Staten Island judge said in her ruling.
“New York City does not have the legal capacity to pass nonconforming laws that allow foreigners to vote and circumvent the power vested in the Constitution,” he adds.
New York had become the largest US city to allow foreigners to vote in local elections, in a country increasingly divided over immigration.
State, federal and local Republican leaders appealed to the state Supreme Court on the grounds that the measure would undermine the power of national citizens.
“Today’s ruling legitimizes those of us who can read the clear words of our Constitution and state statutes. Foreign voting is illegal in New York,” said Joseph Boreilli, a Republican city legislator, who was one of those appealing. , quoted by The New York Times.
Former mayor Bill de Blasio and current mayor Eric Adams, both Democrats, have expressed concerns over the law’s enforceability.
The rule, approved on December 9, 2021, was neither vetoed nor enacted by De Blasio before handing over the business to his successor, Adams, who did the same.
The law passed without veto or enforcement, but it was short-lived.
source: Noticias
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