This week, the House of Representatives is set to discuss three bills aimed at repealing local Washington DC laws, impacting voting rights for noncitizens, police accountability, and cooperation with federal immigration authorities. A prominent bill seeks to end noncitizen voting in local DC elections, with supporters arguing it defends citizen voting rights. Critics, including legal experts, view the bill as largely symbolic, and note that while federal law prohibits noncitizen voting in national elections, the power of municipalities to establish local regulations remains a point of contention.
US Representative August Pfluger, a Republican from Texas, re-introduced this bill after his effort last year stalled in Congress. He wrote on X that his measure would 'defend the power of the citizen voter.'
Five hundred and fifty noncitizens are registered to vote in DC, and only 388 of them voted in the November 2024 general election, according to Judicial Watch, a conservative activist group that opposes noncitizen voting.
Georgetown Law professor Anderson Francois says this House bill is 'mostly symbolic' and an example of Republicans flexing their control over DC.
Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in national elections, and 15 states currently outlaw noncitizen voting in state and local races.
Collection
[
|
...
]