Empire State Today

A New York Supreme Court ruling that denied a New York City law allowing foreign citizens to vote in the city elections was upheld by the New York Appellate Division.

The Appellate Division announced their decision on Feb. 21, standing by the State Supreme Court’s decision to prevent 800,000 foreign citizens in the city from voting in upcoming elections. 

The New York Supreme Court’s initial ruling was in June of 2022, and it struck down the Dec. 2021 city law that created a class of “municipal voters” which included lawful residents of New York City that were not American citizens as qualified voters. 

The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) had filed a similar lawsuit around the time of the city’s announcement, and they celebrated the Appellate Division’s ruling.  

“This ruling marks an important step to stop foreign interference in New York City’s elections,” said PILF President J. Christian Adams. “The Public Interest Legal Foundation’s lawsuit shows that not only did this foreign citizen voting law violate New York’s laws but also the U.S. Constitution and Voting Rights Act. Members of the New York City Council made explicit statements that race was the motivation behind this voting law. In America, we do not allow race-based voting restrictions.”