https://www.nationalreview.com/news/new-york-appeals-court-blocks-nyc-noncitizen-voting-law-siding-with-republicans/
New York’s highest court on Thursday blocked a New York City law that would have allowed noncitizens to vote in municipal elections, upholding lower court rulings that sided with Republicans who challenged the measure.
In January 2022, New York City became the first major city in the nation to grant municipal voting rights to noncitizens after the the City Council passed the law in late 2021. The measure, however, was never fully implemented due to a legal challenge led by Republicans. If the challenge failed, more than 800,000 green card holders would have been allowed to vote in local elections, such as mayoral races.
The historically progressive New York Court of Appeals struck down the law by a 6-1 margin, concluding the New York constitution only allows citizens to vote.
While Republicans argued all noncitizens are prohibited from casting ballots, Democrats said the law should be interpreted as a floor instead of a ceiling. From that perspective, local governments could hypothetically expand voter eligibility to whomever they wish. The appeals court disagreed with this argument.
“Under that interpretation, municipalities are free to enact legislation that would enable anyone to vote – including . . . thirteen-year-old children,” Chief Judge Rowan Wilson wrote for the majority opinion.