The New York City Council’s recent decision to give some 800,000 noncitizens the right to vote might, on the surface, seem just and appropriate. After all, those legal city residents can be said to endure (high) taxation without representation. But this stark departure from historical precedent has a number of serious flaws for those who truly believe in “e pluribus unum” — a nation whose voters share essential civic ideals.
As a practical matter, the council action allows these new voters, such as illegal immigrants, to jump the line of those who have waited for years to prepare to become citizens. That’s a process that takes up to three years for those who have already qualified for the “green card” held by legal immigrants. Becoming a citizen requires one to pay a $725 fee and pass a 100-question citizenship test — a process designed to make sure new voters are exposed to basic American history and principles.
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