By Peter Szekely

NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York Metropolis was poised on Thursday to turn into the most important U.S. metropolis to permit non-citizen immigrants who’re within the nation legally to vote in municipal elections.

The Metropolis Council was set to enact a measure that may allow greater than 800,000 everlasting U.S. residents, or green-card holders, and different legally documented non-citizens to participate in elections for metropolis leaders, together with the mayor. Non-citizen residents wouldn’t be allowed to vote in state or federal elections.

The invoice, which was sponsored by Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez and has the assist of Speaker Corey Johnson, would require immigrant voters to have lived within the metropolis for not less than 30 days. It has the assist of a veto-proof majority of the 51-member council.

Mayor Invoice de Blasio on Wednesday reiterated that he has “combined emotions” concerning the measure, saying there are “excellent authorized questions” about whether or not the town has the authority to enact such a measure.

“However I respect the Metropolis Council,” de Blasio informed a reporter at a briefing. “My assumption is I am simply going to respect no matter they do.”

A report final yr by the mayor’s workplace estimated that just about 10% of the town’s 8.8 million residents had been green-card holders or different immigrants with authorized standing.

No less than 14 U.S. cities, together with San Francisco, already enable non-citizens to vote of their municipal elections.

Supporters of the invoice say it will enfranchise an enormous bloc of authorized residents who at the moment don’t have any say over the taxes they pay, the faculties their kids attend or the opposite providers they depend on.

The invoice is opposed by the tiny Republican minority on the council, who say it will dilute the voting energy of citizen voters and discourage immigrants from turning into residents.

Council Minority Chief Joe Borelli the measure would make voting necessities within the metropolis extra lax than the house international locations of many immigrants, and would allow them to vote in elections in each international locations.

“If the champions of this invoice actually care about our democracy, they might encourage immigrants to attempt towards American citizenship — not cheapen it by making a gift of the shop,” Borelli mentioned in an opinion piece within the New York Submit final month.