GOP leader seeks explanations from DC officials on law allowing noncitizens to vote.
House GOP Demands Answers on Non-Citizen Voting Rights in DC
A top House Republican is raising concerns about the recent implementation of a new law in Washington D.C. that allows non-citizens to vote in local elections, while they remain ineligible to vote in federal elections.
Chairman Bryan Steil of the House Administration Committee has addressed a letter to the D.C. Board of Elections expressing his worries regarding the 2022 legislation that permits some non-citizens to participate in local elections. The committee oversees the conduct of elections and is closely monitoring this development.
The Local Resident Voting Rights Act, which was passed by the D.C. Council in October 2022, allows qualified non-citizens who have resided in Washington D.C. for at least 30 days to vote in local elections. The law also enables non-citizen residents to run for D.C. government offices and serve on the city’s Board of Elections, according to court documents. However, illegal immigrants are still barred from voting under this act.
Despite facing opposition from Republicans and efforts in Congress to overturn it, the law remains in effect and has sparked controversy. In his letter, Chairman Steil draws attention to what he describes as active encouragement of non-citizen voting by officials.
Steil raised alarm over the conduct of the Board, citing instances where staff hosted a virtual town hall specifically discussing the voting rights of non-citizen residents and where a postcard advocating for non-citizens to register to vote in D.C. elections was mailed to residential customers.
The letter poses several questions, including inquiries about how election workers will distinguish between eligible and ineligible voters, whether foreign nationals serving as embassy personnel will have voting rights, and why the registration form for non-citizens reportedly lacks a requirement regarding felony convictions.
He also references a bill introduced by Sen. Roger Marshall to mandate proof of citizenship in all municipal elections in D.C., underlining concerns about the voting process.
Comparisons are made to a similar bill passed in New York City in December 2021 regarding non-citizen voting. However, this bill faced legal challenges and was deemed unconstitutional by a New York judge in June.
Rep. Bryan Steil, along with fellow committee members, expressed their discontent with the implementation of non-citizen voting rights in Washington D.C. during a press conference in Marietta, Georgia, underlining the need for clarity and transparency in the voting process.
In the midst of these developments and controversies, the issue of non-citizen voting rights in local elections continues to be a subject of heated debate and scrutiny within political circles, emphasizing the importance of upholding the integrity of electoral processes.
