NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) -- A New York City law that would have allowed noncitizens the right to vote in local elections was ruled unconstitutional by a state appeals court Wednesday.
The law, known as Local Law 11, would have granted legal permanent residents and people with US work authorization the right to vote in municipal elections. It was struck down on a 3-to-1 vote issued by the state Appellate Court.
“During a time where nearly 200,000 migrants have flooded our city and streets, disrupting the public and attacking our police officers, my colleagues and I have worked tirelessly to protect our voting laws which were created for citizens of the United States," said Assemblyman Michael Tannousis on Wednesday.
The New York City Council approved the bill in 2021. The law quickly faced a lawsuit challenging it after Mayor Eric Adams passed it in 2022. A New York lower court also ruled the law violated the Constitution in 2022.
The law’s supporters said it gave an electoral voice to many people who have made a home in the city and pay taxes to it but face tough paths to citizenship.
New York GOP Chair Nick Langworthy and several Republican elected officials said the law violated provisions in the state constitution and state election law that specifically confer voting rights on citizens.
Charline Charles is a digital journalist from Brooklyn who has covered local news along with culture and arts in the New York City area since 2019. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
