Foreign nationals are not only voting but also running elections in San Francisco
San Francisco Democrats Appoint Foreign National to Elections Commission
In San Francisco, California’s Democrat officials are too busy gifting foreign nationals the ability to run the city’s elections to worry about their citizens floundering in crap, crime, and homelessness.
On Wednesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to appoint Kelly Wong, a foreign national from Hong Kong, to the city’s Elections Commission. According to KQED, a local outlet, the commission is a “seven-member civilian body that oversees and creates policy for the city’s Department of Elections.”
“There are always voices inside my head. Like, ‘You can’t do it. You’re not competent. You’re an immigrant. This is not your country.’ That’s not true,” Wong, a so-called “immigrant rights advocate,” said. “If I can do it, [other foreign nationals] can do it.”
While ineligible to vote in elections, Wong told KQED that she aims to use her new position, as the outlet described, to “increase engagement among the city’s immigrant and non-English speaking communities” and “ensure that voter materials are translated in a way that people can understand.” To illustrate the latter, Wong noted how there’s currently no Cantonese or Mandarin equivalent to English terms such as “reparations.”
According to Just the News, in 2020 San Francisco axed a citizenship requirement for serving on city boards and commissions.
Wong’s appointment to San Francisco’s Elections Commission isn’t all that surprising given the city’s willingness to grant privileges exclusively intended for U.S. citizens to illegal immigrants. In 2016, for instance, city voters passed Proposition N, which authorized foreign nationals who are parents or guardians of children in San Francisco’s school system to vote in local school board elections. While the measure was only temporary and set to expire in 2022, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted in October 2021 to make the change permanent.
This prompted the U.S. Justice Foundation and California Public Policy Foundation to file a lawsuit against the city, arguing the measure constituted a violation of California’s constitution. The Superior Court of San Francisco agreed, ruling in July 2022 that the measure runs “contrary to the California constitution and state statutes and thus cannot stand.”
The California Court of Appeal overturned that decision in August, allowing the policy to take effect.
San Francisco is not the only jurisdiction where Democrats have granted foreign nationals voting privileges. While federal law stipulates that only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections, Democrat-led cities in states such as Maryland and California have adopted measures in recent years permitting noncitizen voting in their municipal elections.
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Despite their state constitution forbidding such a practice, Rhode Island Democrats introduced legislation during last year’s legislative session aimed at granting such privileges to their noncitizen population. The bill never made it out of committee.
Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. passed legislation in 2022 granting foreign nationals the ability to vote in the district’s local elections. House Republicans’ legislative efforts to revoke the law have been blocked by Senate Democrats.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
What are the potential consequences of prioritizing the interests of non-citizens over the concerns of American citizens in the democratic process
Er”>some states and localities have allowed non-citizens to vote in local elections. San Francisco, however, has taken this approach to a new level by appointing a foreign national to the city’s Elections Commission.
The appointment of Kelly Wong, a foreign national from Hong Kong, to the commission raised eyebrows and sparked concerns about the city’s priorities. San Francisco has long been plagued by issues such as crime, homelessness, and struggling infrastructure, yet the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to prioritize the appointment of Wong over addressing the pressing challenges faced by its own citizens.
Wong, who describes herself as an “immigrant rights advocate,” expressed determination to use her position to increase engagement among the city’s immigrant and non-English speaking communities. She aims to ensure that voter materials are translated in a way that people can understand. Wong pointed out the lack of Cantonese or Mandarin translations for English terms such as “reparations” as an example of the need for better language access in the voting process.
The appointment of Wong is not entirely surprising given San Francisco’s track record of granting privileges intended for U.S. citizens to illegal immigrants. In 2016, the city passed Proposition N, allowing foreign nationals who are parents or guardians of children in San Francisco’s school system to vote in local school board elections. Despite being initially temporary, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to make the change permanent in 2021.
This move led to a lawsuit filed against the city, with the argument that it violated California’s constitution. The Superior Court of San Francisco agreed, ruling in July 2022 that the measure cannot stand. However, the California Court of Appeal overturned this decision in August, allowing the policy to take effect.
San Francisco’s decision to appoint a foreign national to its Elections Commission reflects a broader trend among Democrats in some states and localities to grant voting privileges to non-citizens. While federal law states that only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections, some jurisdictions have allowed non-citizens to participate in local elections.
The appointment of a foreign national to a crucial position in the city’s elections process raises questions about accountability, representation, and the enforcement of immigration laws. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact the city and its citizens, but it is clear that San Francisco Democrats are prioritizing the interests of foreign nationals over the concerns of their own constituents. The long-term consequences of such actions are yet to be seen, but they serve as a reminder of the importance of upholding the principles of citizenship and ensuring that the voices and interests of American citizens are protected and prioritized in the democratic process.
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