“Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the Non-Citizen Voting Law is unconstitutional.”
QUICK FACTS:
- The Republican National Committee (RNC) says it has filed a lawsuit against New York City after new Mayor Eric Adams (D) failed to block a bill that will allow one million noncitizens to vote in local elections, Newsmax reports.
- The bill became law on Sunday and will give more than 800,000 noncitizens who live in NYC the right to vote in local elections.
- On Monday, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced the Republican Party will challenge the new law in court, calling it a threat to election integrity: “American elections should be decided by American citizens,” she said. “If Democrats can subvert elections this flagrantly in America’s largest city, they can do it anywhere. The RNC is suing to protect the integrity of our elections, and we stand ready to do the same wherever Democrats try to attack the basic security of your ballot.”
WHAT THE LAWSUIT SAYS:
The suit states, “Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the Non-Citizen Voting Law is unconstitutional, violative of New York statutory law, and invalid, as well as an injunction permanently enjoining the Defendants, the Mayor and the New York City Board of Elections, from enforcing or implementing the law in any respect.”
WHAT THE RNC FACTSHEET SAYS:
- The law violates a New York election statute as well as Municipal Home Rule Law.
- There are questions whether these noncitizen voters will remain on voter rolls for state and federal elections.
- The ruling adds approximately 900,000 noncitizens to the New York City voter roll.
BACKGROUND:
- “Anyone reading N.Y. state election law in plain English can see that it prohibits foreign citizen voting,” New York City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli, who joined the lawsuit, wrote in a statement, Newsmax reports. “The public should look for themselves at section 5-102 to fully grasp how their city government willfully violates the law without regard.”
- City council members who voted against the election power grab, the New York Republican Party, and several New York office holders and voters joined the lawsuit, Newsmax also notes.
- Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said “There is nothing more important than preserving the integrity of our election system,” adding, “The government should be working to create more trust in our elections, not less. The right to vote is a sacred right given only to United States citizens. This careless legislation violates the state Constitution, dilutes the voices of American citizens, and is not in line with the views of a vast majority of our city.”
- “We look forward to our day in court,” Rep. Malliotakis concluded.
