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Democratic Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo on the New York City Council opposed the passage of a bill that grants non-citizens the right to vote in municipal elections because she feels the bill would dilute the city’s black vote.
Liberals have sought for a long time to allow non-citizens to vote ostensibly because they believe it will help more Democrats win elections. Now that new polls are coming out indicating a seismic shift in the Hispanic vote toward Republicans, Democrats such as Cumbo are showing their true colors by opposing a move to give non-citizens (mostly Hispanic) a legal spot at the ballot box.
“This particular legislation is going to shift the power dynamics in NYC in a major way, and we do not have the numbers or the information to know how that is going to impact African-American communities who have been the most vulnerable in our existence in our city,” Cumbo stated.
“I need to know … how are African Americans going to be impacted?” she asked, according to the New York Post. “I want to know specifically how it is going to affect African American communities.”
Laurie Cumbo is voting against legislation allowing non-citizens to vote in NYC because, she said, Latinos voted in greater numbers for Donald Trump in 2020. She believes it will empower Latinos at the expense of Black voters.
— Ross Barkan (@RossBarkan) December 9, 2021
Cumbo’s “reasoning” struck a chord with many critics:
Cumbo did the right thing for the wrong reason. Non-citizens shouldn't vote because voting is a legal right for citizens. She did reveal the truth of Wokeism: racism is bad but is perfectly acceptable to discriminate against minorities who don't share the woke ideology.
— Helen Raleigh (@HRaleighspeaks) December 10, 2021
Council Member Kalman Yeger of Brooklyn, who is another Democrat who opposed the bill, pushed back against charges that anyone opposing the bill is racist.
“Don’t come here and tell us that we’re racist because we don’t agree with you,” he told Politico. “How about I just have a policy difference? How about I read the Constitution, I went to law school just like the lawyers on this Council?”
Despite Cumbo’s concerns about non-citizens voting at this juncture, the New York City Council approved the passage of the bill, in essence, allowing citizens from foreign nations to determine elections on American soil.
Supporters called it a victory for the city’s over 800,000 tax-paying immigrants with green cards and work authorization.
The bill passed by a 33-14 vote, with two members abstaining from it. The legislation will affect about 900,000 legal immigrants, according to the advocacy group Our City, Our Vote.
Councilman Mark Gjonaj, who is a Democrat representing parts of the Bronx, also objected to the bill, according to the New York Post.
“Irresponsible would be rubber stamping, irresponsible would be voting on a bill that you’re not completely informed about,” he claimed while pointing out that his parents immigrated to the United States from Albania.
Gjonaj also contends that the measure will allow enemies of the United States like Russia and China to influence local elections.
“This bill in its current form doesn’t protect New York City; it makes it vulnerable to outside influence,” he asserted. “This bill makes the crown jewel of the country vulnerable.”
“It doesn’t take much to … figure out how dangerous this bill is for the future of New York City,” he continued. “This bill … is a threat to our sovereignty.”
Councilman Francisco Moya, who is from Ecuador, emotionally spoke in support of the bill, according to Fox5.
“This is for my beautiful mother who will be able to vote for her son,” declared Moya.
The bill is opposed by those who note that its 30-day residency requirement is too short and claim that the overall bill undermines naturalized citizens’ hard-earned efforts to gain the right to vote in elections.
“I believe this is a slap in the face to those immigrants who worked so hard to obtain United States citizenship so that they can have a voice in our electoral process,” asserted Inna Vernikov in a statement, who is a Republican City Council member from Brooklyn.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has surprisingly said he is opposed to the bill on legal grounds, contending in September that it’s something only the state, not city government can enact. However, he won’t veto the bill.
The new legislation is expected to face court challenges once it becomes law. Incoming Mayor Eric Adams says he supports the bill.
It is not a surprise why Democrats in New York City wanted this bill passed. Legally documented, voting-age noncitizens comprise nearly one in nine of the city’s 7 million voting-age inhabitants and they tend to vote Democrat.
The measure allows noncitizens who have been lawful permanent residents of the city for at least 30 days, as well as those authorized to work in the U.S., including “Dreamers,” to participate in selecting the city’s mayor, city council members, borough presidents, comptroller and public advocate.
“It is no secret, we are making history today. 50 years down the line when our children look back at this moment they will see a diverse coalition of advocates who came together to write a new chapter in New York City’s history by giving immigrant New Yorkers the power of the ballot,” Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, who is a primary sponsor of the bill, proclaimed in a statement following Thursday’s vote.
New York City is now the largest municipality in the country to extend non-citizen voting rights. It joins towns in Maryland and Vermont, while other local governments from California and Massachusetts are also considering similar measures.
Social media sounded off on the vote and Cumbo:
Her reasoning is offensive, but her vote is not. Non-citizens are not “disenfranchised.” Voting should be a benefit of citizenship. Otherwise, what the heck is citizenship for?
— Rob Gobble 🦃 (@RobGeorge) December 9, 2021
I’d rather we streamline our naturalization process than let foreigners vote in elections.
— Tripwire (@Ravie777) December 9, 2021
Non citizens shouldn’t vote. It’s pretty simple.
— Mike (@M_jopink) December 10, 2021
(whispers) y’all know she is going to be a Deputy Mayor or Commissioner in 3 weeks, right?
— Dorsey Mc- Boost Up💉💉😷 (@313Eternal) December 9, 2021
That is such terrible reasoning leading to a conclusion I agree with.
— IslandTaipan (@IslandTaipan) December 10, 2021
A natural next step for a party that structures immigration policy solely on the basis of whether the immigrant will vote Democratic
— willyl0wman (@willyl0wman) December 10, 2021
When you do the setup and the math wrong but get the right answer
— Pseudo-Voegelin (@speedyk84265704) December 9, 2021
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