New York passes rule that will allow immigrants to vote in local elections

The new mayor of New York, Eric Adams, has given the final green light to the rule approved last month by municipal legislators to allow immigrants residing in the city to vote in local elections.

Adams, who in the past had expressed some doubts about the measure, let the deadline he had to veto the new legislation expire, so it officially went into effect last Sunday.

With it, the Big Apple will become the first major city in the United States to allows immigrants who reside legally permanently, people with work permits or temporary protected status to vote in municipal elections, as well as those receiving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, known as “dreamers”.

Total, almost 900,000 people will be added to the censuss, a large part of them immigrants of Latino origin, who will be able to elect their mayor, councilors and other local offices, but who will still not be able to participate in the state or federal elections.

“I believe that New Yorkers have to decide their government, so I support and will continue to support this important legislation,” Adams said in a brief statement.

The mayor, a Democrat like his predecessor, acknowledged that he “initially had some concerns” about certain aspects of the rule, but assured that these have disappeared after conversations with some of his colleagues.

“I believe that allowing this legislation to enter into force is without a doubt the best choice and I am looking forward to adding millions to the democratic process,” he said.

The measure was approved in December by the Democratic-majority City Council, after four previous attempts to push it through in the past twelve years had failed. (I)