Common Sense: Counseling the Council
For a political columnist, the New York City Council is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Just in the past week, we had a Democratic councilmember who questioned how so many Asians were getting into public housing, another Democratic councilmember who created such a commotion for being ticketed for crossing between subway cars that the police had to take his telephone away, and the announcement that the Council’s Democratic leadership was giving strong consideration to legalizing non-citizen voting in city elections. Yes, it was a true banner week for the City Council.
The non-citizen voting proposal should be of concern to New Yorkers who are citizens and vote. This would add legal aliens (essentially green card holders, although possibly several other smaller categories) to the pool of potential registrants and as such voters for New York City municipal elections. These elections include mayor, City Council, public advocate, and city comptroller as well as borough presidents.
You would be allowed to register in a political party, but only for the purpose of voting in a party primary for the previously mentioned public office. Inasmuch as party leadership primaries as well as special elections for non-city offices can be held on the same days as regular municipal elections and primaries, you would have two separate groups being allowed to vote but not in all the same elections. This would cause massive confusion and likely lead to fraud.