NY Republicans vow to take legal action if de Blasio signs bill allowing non-citizens to vote

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The New York City Council is set to vote next week on a measure that would allow non-citizens to register to vote in municipal elections, but Republicans are readying themselves to challenge it in court if they have to.

At a Thursday news conference, New York State Republican Party members vowed to do whatever they can.

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"We pledge action, legal or otherwise, any means necessary to stop this dangerous legislation from undermining our elections," party chairman Nick Langworthy said.

The bill, if it becomes law, would allow more than 800,000 non-citizen residents to vote, according to the New York Times.

  (Reuters)

"I thought we’d seen it all from Democrats in this state," Langworthy said, calling the push to allow non-citizens to vote "perhaps the worst idea out of New York City Democrats ever."

The party chairman said that Democrats have already made New York City a sanctuary city and provided illegal aliens a number of benefits, and that this new bill "was always the next step in the left’s plan to radically transform American for the worse."

Langworthy claimed the bill violates the U.S. and New York State Constitutions, stating that voting "is expressly reserved for citizens of the United States of America." 

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The bill calls for allowing city residents with green cards or work authorizations the ability to vote if they have been living in the city for at least 30 days prior to an election. Langworthy said it would "allow foreign powers … the ability to influence U.S. elections."

Mayor Bill de Blasio greets spectators during 95th Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloon inflation on West 81st street. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Langworthy said that even Mayor Bill de Blasio, whom he called "the worst mayor in New York City history," doubted that the city council had the legal authority to take such action. Nevertheless, Langworthy said, de Blasio later "backtracked" and sided with progressives by saying he would sign the bill if it landed on his desk.

In September, de Blasio told a local radio show that besides not believing the law was on the council's side, he was also concerned that it could discourage citizenship.

A voter marks her ballot during early voting at the Park Slope Armory YMCA, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

"I think there's a real set of mixed feelings it generates in me about what's the right way to approach this issue," he said.

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New York City Council member David Carr backed up Langworthy, vowing to take legal action against the bill if necessary.

"If we are not able to beat it in the council next week, we will beat it in the court," he said.