Four black New York City residents have sued the city’s Board of Elections for implementing a “racially discriminatory” scheme that allows more than 800,000 non-citizens to vote in local elections, Breitbart reported.
The Democrat-dominated New York City Council passed a measure 33-14 last December giving foreign nationals the right to vote in the city’s local elections.
When the City Council, which has 46 Democrats and 5 Republicans, considered the plan, some members expressed concerns that it would dilute the voting power of black residents.
Non-citizens have to reside in New York City for only 30 days before gaining voting rights.
“All of the relevant indicia demonstrate that a racially discriminatory purpose was a motivating factor in the passage of the Foreign Citizen Voting Bill,” the lawsuit stated.
Recognizing the measure’s constitutionality and discriminatory impact, several Democrats voted against it.
New York City Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz, D-Bronx, called out the “radical agenda” that will give “800,000 noncitizen voters with no comparable understanding of the history of this country and government” the right to “pick a name at the ballot box with no understanding of what that office is,” Breitbart reported.
He warned about true foreign interference in elections.
“… New York City, which is home to both the United Nations and Wall Street, could easily be taken over by any group of noncitizens who live here for 30 days and vote for the leader of their choice,” Diaz said.
The 800,000 new voters—the majority of whom are Asian (343,000) and Hispanic (488,000)—will have the power to alter New York City’s electoral landscape.
Mayor Eric Adams won last year’s ranked-choice Democratic primary by fewer than 7,200 votes, Breitbart reported.
“Despite this discriminatory impact and the knowledge that the New York City Council was without legal authority to grant foreign citizens the right to vote, the Council moved forward and passed the bill,” according to the lawsuit, filed by the Public Interest Legal Foundation.
PILF filed the lawsuit, Coachman v. New York City Board of Elections, on behalf of Phyllis Coachman, Deroy Murdock, Katherine James, and Anthony Gilhuys.