Washington, DC City Council Gives Initial Approval to Bill That Would Allow Non-Citizens to Vote

The City Council in Washington, D.C., has preliminarily approved bills that would enable non-citizens to vote in elections and make mail-in voting permanent.

The City Council approved the bills in a first reading. The Democrat-controlled body must do so again in the next vote, called the final reading, for the legislation to be sent to Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat.

B24-0300, or the Local Resident Voting Rights Act of 2021, would allow non-citizens who are otherwise eligible to vote in the District to vote in local elections.

“This allows us to expand voting rights to eligible residents of the district who are not citizens,” Councilwoman Brianne Nadeau, a Democrat, said before the vote, including illegal immigrants.

“It’s really critically important that folks have a voice. So if we’re going to continue to work toward a more inclusive democracy, and full participation in our elections, we need to vote in support of this bill today,” she added later.

Councilwoman Mary Cheh, another Democrat, questioned how the change would play out.

“The concern here is not at all about their immigration status, whether legal or illegal,” Cheh said. “It’s asking whether somebody who is a complete stranger to our community, to our nation, and who happened to be sent here on a bus from Texas, and managed to remain resident for 30 days could actually vote in our elections.”

Cheh was the only member to vote against the bill.

Members of the public testified in support of the bill during a hearing over the summer. None appeared to oppose it.

Critics of the measure and others like it say allowing non-citizens to vote dilutes the voice of citizens and undermines their rights.

Other jurisdictions have started letting non-citizens vote in local elections, including New York City. The New York Supreme Court struck down that law

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