A proposal to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections in New York “could certainly change the balance of power, not just in citywide elections, but also in neighborhoods” with large populations of illegal immigrants, New York City Republican Councilman Joe Borelli told Newsmax.
The New York Supreme Court recently heard arguments from Democrat lawyers advocating for non-citizen voting, which could allow more than 800,000 documented non-citizens to cast ballots in local elections. If approved, this policy could shift voter demographics by 15%, significantly influencing election outcomes.
“This is essentially the goal of what the proponents of this want to do, and the downstream impact will be that this group of people will have an outsized voice in the finances and laws of New York City,” Borelli, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, told National Report on Wednesday.
Borelli emphasized that the New York State Constitution clearly states that “every citizen over 18 is allowed to vote in municipal elections.” He pointed out that two lower courts have already ruled in favor of blocking non-citizen voting. Additionally, he argued that changes to election regulations must be approved by public referendum, a step that was bypassed in this case.
Borelli also raised concerns about the ability to verify voter eligibility if non-citizen voting is allowed.
“Our Board of Elections is a bipartisan entity made up of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, and they have also said that, ‘Hey, this is not a very effective way to be able to verify who’s voting,’” he said. He warned that the policy is a deliberate move to grant illegal immigrants and overstayed visa holders greater political influence.
“If these people are able to vote, they’ll be able to vote for things that regular New Yorkers can vote for, including how we spend $115 billion of taxpayer money,” Borelli noted. He cautioned that allowing non-citizens to vote could increase government spending and shift New York City further to the left.
Borelli also dismissed the argument that non-citizens should be allowed to vote because they pay taxes.
“Some of them are, and some of them aren’t,” he said. “That’s not the point. You pay taxes in New Jersey if you go there to buy a car or something like that. Me, as a New Yorker, I don’t get to vote in New Jersey elections.”
With legal battles still unfolding, the fate of non-citizen voting in New York remains uncertain, but the issue continues to spark intense debate over election integrity and democratic representation.
