A landmark ruling in New York has officially shut down the progressive push to allow noncitizens and illegal immigrants to vote in municipal elections—a massive win for election integrity and American democracy.
The decision comes after a legal battle over a 2022 law, passed in the final days of former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, that would have allowed over 800,000 noncitizens to vote in New York City’s local elections. Neither de Blasio nor Mayor Eric Adams vetoed the measure, allowing it to be enacted without resistance.
Thankfully, Republicans fought back—and won.
New York Constitution: Voting Is for Citizens, Period
The state’s highest court, the New York Court of Appeals, ruled 6-1 that the law violates the state constitution, which explicitly states that only U.S. citizens over 18 years old have the right to vote.
Former Republican City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli, a plaintiff in the case, described the lawsuit as an “open-shut case” from the beginning.
“We file some lawsuits that are stretches,” Borelli told Politico after the victory. “This one was, from the beginning, an open-shut case.”
Even liberal-leaning judges couldn’t ignore the blatant unconstitutionality of the law.
Progressives Argued for Lowering Voting Standards—Even for Children?
Democrats and left-wing voting organizations tried to spin the case, arguing that the constitutional phrase “every citizen shall be entitled to vote” should be seen as a “floor” for voter access, not a ceiling—meaning local governments should be allowed to expand voting rights to whomever they want.
The Court of Appeals wasn’t buying it.
Chief Judge Rowan Wilson struck down this absurd argument, pointing out that under this logic, cities could let 13-year-olds vote if they wanted to.
“It is plain from the language and restrictions contained in [the state constitution] that ‘citizen’ is not meant as a floor, but as a condition of voter eligibility,” Wilson wrote.
Translation: Voting is for citizens. Period.
A Nationwide Fight Against Leftist Voter Manipulation
New York’s law was one of several efforts by the left to blur the lines between legal citizens and illegal immigrants when it comes to elections.
If the progressives had succeeded, they would have joined cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Washington, D.C., and municipalities in Vermont and Maryland, which already allow noncitizens to vote in some local elections.
Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, a Democratic state senator recently introduced legislation allowing illegal immigrants to run for office—only to deny it before being caught in his own lie.
Final Verdict: A Big Win for Legal Voters
The Court of Appeals’ decision marks the third straight legal victory for Republicans in lower courts, proving that they are on solid constitutional ground.
As Assemblymember Michael Tannousis, a Staten Island Republican and another plaintiff, put it:
“Voting is a sacred right that is for United States citizens.”
New York’s left-wing politicians tried to hand over elections to noncitizens, but the courts—and the Constitution—said NO.
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