(The Wanderer) – Last year the
Democrats controlling the City of New York passed a law that had been proposed
by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, and supported by the current mayor, Eric Adams,
in which non-citizens were allowed to vote in certain local elections.
However, before the law could take
effect, Republicans challenged it and a local judge, Ralph Parzio, ruled that
it violated the state constitution that only allowed for citizen voting, and
struck it down. The law had been scheduled to go into effect in January of this
year.
The liberal reaction was typical: “Today, the [court]
seeks to once again revoke that right and disenfranchise hundreds of thousands
of permanent New York City residents from having a voice in the decisions that
shape our city – and choosing the leaders who make those decisions,” said the
city’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams.
But that
decision was appealed with Mayor Adams’ support. “I believe that New Yorkers should have
a say in their government, which is why I have and will continue to support
this important legislation,” the mayor said. “I look forward to bringing
millions more into the democratic process.”
There has been no resolution to the appeal, thus it is
possible that a higher court could restore it before the next general election,
thus allowing non-citizens to vote. Probably not likely, but it is a
possibility. And if it did happen, it would raise the electoral stakes
immeasurably.
Fast forward to now. New York Republican Congresswoman
Nicole Malliotakis is raising a red flag of warning that the influx of migrants
into the city could flood the voter rolls due to a requirement in the city’s
contract with those providing migrant shelters to assist migrants in obtaining
voter registration forms and to promote the distribution of campaign materials
in the shelter.
Malliotakis had received a copy of the city’s contract with
the shelter Homes for the Homeless through a freedom of information request. In
a press release she said: “The City is requiring migrant shelter contractors to distribute
voter registration cards, assist migrants in registering to vote, and promote
campaign material within the shelters themselves. … There is nothing more
important than preserving the integrity of our election system," she said. "The
right to vote is a sacred right given only to United States citizens, and
certainly not one provided to those who crossed over our border illegally and
made their way to New York City last month.”
The
city denied the allegations yet noted that the voter requirement in the shelter
contracts only apply to eligible clients and are required by law.
In
releasing a copy of the contract, a local city assemblyman, Michael Tannousis, said,
"There's a requirement in this contract that the contractor,
Homes for the Homeless, is required to give voter registration forms to the
public - anyone they come into contact with - while at the same time
prohibiting them from asking immigration status. … What is happening here? Look
at all the benefits in the contract that migrants are to be getting. Do the
taxpayers of this city get the same benefits? Absolutely not. We need New
Yorkers to wake up and see what is happening."
The contract Mallitokis released had these requirements:
“Distribution of Voter Registration Forms. In accordance [with the cited law] the
Contractor, if it has regular contact with the public in the daily
administration of its business under this Agreement, hereby agrees as follows:
“1. The Contractor
shall provide and distribute voter registration forms to all persons together
with written applications for services, renewal, or recertification for
services and change of address
relating to such services. …The Contractor should be prepared to
provide forms written in Spanish or Chinese, and shall obtain a sufficient
supply of such forms from the City.
“2. The Contractor shall also include a
voter registration form with any Contractor communication sent through the
United States mail for the purpose of supplying clients with materials for
application, renewal, or recertification for services and change
of address relating
to such services. If forms written
in Spanish or Chinese
are not provided in such mailing, the Contractor shall provide such forms upon
the Department’s request.
“3. The Contractor shall, subject to approval by the Department, incorporate an opportunity to request a voter registration
application into any application for services … provided on computer terminals,
the World Wide Web or the Internet. Any person
indicating that they wish to be sent a voter registration form via
computer terminals, the World Wide Web or the Internet shall be sent … a link on that system
where such a form may be downloaded.
“4. The Contractor
shall, at the earliest practicable or next regularly scheduled printing of its own forms
… physically incorporate the voter registration forms with its own application forms …
“5. The Contractor shall prominently display in its public office,
subject to approval by the Department, promotional materials designed and
approved by the City or State Board of Elections.”
Interesting that the ballots for the migrant shelters be printed
not only in Spanish, but in Chinese as well. Of course, after watching the
continued violation of our southern border, who’d thought of that? Perhaps the
folks who gave us the 2020 irregularities? Might be a good guess.
Of course none of this might come to pass. But, since none of the
migrants sent to shelters in New York City are being vetted, who’s to say that
the election will be on the up and up? Just understand what is happening there
and hope it is not happening anywhere else, but don’t count on it.
-30-
(You can reach Mike at: DeaconMike@q.com
and listen to him every weekend on Faith On Trial or podcast at https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-on-trial/).
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