The Democrat-majority City Council passed a measure approving the new change to local election laws, formally titled “Our City, Our Vote,” by a margin of 33 to 14.
The new legislation declares that any illegals who have lived in the city for at least 30 days, such as green card holders, DACA recipients, and illegals with workers’ permits, are allowed to vote in elections for mayor, city council, public advocate, and borough president.
The bill was sponsored by Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D-N.Y.), himself an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who was a green card holder from 1983 to 2000. Rodriguez, claiming that the issue was a matter of “no taxation without representation,” declaring that “the constitution of New York State and the New York City Charter is a live document that provides the opportunity for us to always look to make it better.”
“I think that today we were able to make that important change that recognizes the contributions of immigrants,” Rodriguez added.
