Several Republican Senators have worked together to introduce legislation geared toward banning noncitizens from voting in elections held in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Sens. Ted Budd of North Carolina, Katie Britt of Alabama and 20 other Republican Senators introduced the measure to address a 2022 law passed by the D.C. City Council that permitted embassy staff, noncitizens and undocumented immigrants to vote in local elections.
Republican U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, who represents Texas’s 11th District, introduced a similar measure in the House, which passed with bipartisan support when 54 Democrats voted in its favor.
Budd said in a statement that states like Maryland, Vermont and New York have all passed laws allowing noncitizens to participate in state-level elections.
“The American people’s right to vote in free and fair elections is diminished when jurisdictions like D.C. allow noncitizens to interfere in our democratic process. This must stop. No city, state, territory, or federal district is above the law,” Bud said in a press release.
Britt said the legislation wasn’t about “local school boards or fixing potholes,” and noted that it affects the direction of the nation’s capital because under the 2022 law, noncitizens can vote on who holds important leadership roles such as the Mayor, Attorney General and City Council members.
“In the city representing the strongest democratic republic in the world, the D.C. City Council chose to flagrantly violate one of democracy’s core principles. This is a slap in the face to every American citizen, whether they live in D.C. or not, who should be the only voters deciding who represents them in every election and at every level of government.”
The bill was also cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, John Cornyn, Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Ashley Moody and Tommy Tuberville, among others. Britt noted that she is hopeful the bill will gain more bipartisan support in the Senate.
“It is our duty to protect the votes of hardworking American citizens, including those who came to our country legally and took the time and effort to go through the naturalization process. Ultimately, this is about strengthening the integrity of our elections,” Britt said.
