Illegal Immigrants to Vote ?

[Rotobeast]

http://nypost.com/2016/02/22/new-bill-could-give-illegal-aliens-voting-rights-in-new-york-city/

Quote:New bill could give illegal aliens voting rights in New York City

By Carl Campanile
February 22, 2016 | 5:51am

New legislation is being pushed that would give illegal aliens the right to vote in New York City’s 2017 elections for mayor, comptroller, public advocate, borough president and City Council, The Post has learned.

The proposal — which is winning support from the city’s black and Hispanic activists — was recently discussed at a Black and Latino Legislative Caucus event in Albany.
“We want to expand the right to vote for everybody, not suppress the vote. What a radical idea,” said Bertha Lewis, head of the Black Institute, which is part of a coalition of immigration-rights groups campaigning for the bill. She said it is expected to be introduced this spring.

There are an estimated 1.3 million noncitizen residents in the city, about 500,000 of whom are undocumented. Neither the documented green-card holders nor the illegal aliens are allowed to vote.
Queens Councilman Dan Dromm submitted legislation several years ago to extend voting rights to “lawful residents” — noncitizens with green cards. Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito was a co-sponsor of the bill, which has never been put up for a vote.
Lewis, whose Black Institute advocates for African and Caribbean immigrants, said such rights should be expanded to cover the mostly minority, undocumented immigrants who work hard, raise families and contribute billions of dollars to the city’s economy.
She sees it as an extension of Mayor de Blasio’s Municipal ID card offered to all residents — including those who are undocumented.
“People want to come out of the shadows,” Lewis said.
Lewis has had conversations with legislators including Viverito, Dromm and Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams, among others, about expanding rights to illegal aliens.
A Viverito spokesman noted that the council supports extending voting rights to green-card holders, but he stopped short Sunday of saying she would back voting rights for illegal immigrants.
Williams, however, endorsed the proposal.
“There will be a lot of support for it in the City Council. We want people to participate in civic life and be invested in what happens. It will lead to a healthier community,” said Williams.
But state Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long panned the idea, saying liberals may be pushing noncitizen voting to boost Democratic Party enrollment and “buy votes.”
“This is outrageous . . . American Citizens have the right to determine the destiny of towns, villages, cities, states and the country,” Long said.

[BmorePat87]

The issue of non citizens voting has existed for nearly 200 years. Many states in the West allowed it to draw in residents.

[*bfine32*]

(02-22-2016, 11:57 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: The issue of non citizens voting has existed for nearly 200 years. Many states in the West allowed it to draw in residents.

Even if one were to entertain this: Where those non citizens in the country illegally? 

[Rotobeast]

(02-22-2016, 11:57 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: The issue of non citizens voting has existed for nearly 200 years. Many states in the West allowed it to draw in residents.

Why do you think this is something that NY wants to bring into the fold ?

I think Felony Disenfranchisement should end, before allowing illegal immigrants/non citizens to vote.

[BmorePat87]

(02-23-2016, 12:15 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Even if one were to entertain this: Where those non citizens in the country illegally? 

Most likely not. I also didn't mean for that post to read as an endorsement of this. I'm ok with legal residents voting, not illegal immigrants. I just posted a blurb before I hopped in the shower. The logistics of illegal immigrants voting seem impossible and asinine. 

[BmorePat87]

(02-23-2016, 12:23 AM)Rotobeast Wrote: Why do you think this is something that NY wants to bring into the fold ?

I think Felony Disenfranchisement should end, before allowing illegal immigrants/non citizens to vote.

Resident aliens make up a large percentage of the city. It would be a good thing to expand voting rights to those affected by these decisions and those who pay taxes. I didnt read anything that explicitly said that illegals will be allowed to vote, and I imagine the actual legislation won't go that far.

I'm definitely on board with the felon enfranchisement, but I'm not sure if that's a state thing that the city has no control over. 

[Bengalzona]

People should be citizens to vote.

But speaking of illegals... when I was in ROTC in college, I did SMP duty with an Army hospital unit in the reserves. My first drill weekend, the unit commander, a full bird Colonel who had been on Jonas Salk's team for the polio vaccine, was retiring. That in itself is not so interesting. Retirements happen. What was interesting was the reason he was retiring. He had to retire because he was being deported back to Cuba... he had been in the U.S. illegally for over 30 years.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

I'd be all for a Felon to be able to vote if there's a waiting period of something like 4 years of staying out of trouble. That is the length of one Presidential term or we could go as far as 6 years being a Senator term.

As for illegals or Green Card holders, I say no to that, Become a citizen of the United States of America if you want to vote.

[*michaelsean*]

If i moved to a different country, I would never expect the things that people expect from us. It would never even occur to me. New York City can do what they want, but keep it local.

[*Nately120*]

My stance on "who should be allowed to vote" is heavily based upon if said people will vote for the same guy as me or not. Just saying.