On January 9th the new mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, let stand legislation passed by the city council in December that would effectively give legal non-citizen residents parity with citizens of the city so far as voting in local elections is concerned. That is troubling. While some make the claim that the non-citizens should be able to help determine the “state of the city” in which they live, it effectively dilutes the votes of the ones who are actual citizens.
The non-citizens only have to be residents for 30 days. 30 days! Do you suppose they have developed a sense of community by that time? Some will, but some won’t yet feel any attachment. This new legislation can also create transient voters. And that will undercut the voice of longtime, permanent residents.
Some New Yorkers will feel like their own votes will be weakened. And when the rug they’ve been forced to stand on is pulled out from under them, that feeling will be confirmed. A recipe for resentment? Pretty much!