The power of American citizenship depends on the right to vote. If the right to vote is extended to non-citizens, American citizenship will be eroded.
Recently, the New York City Council approved a measure to allow non-citizens to vote in municipal elections, for the offices of mayor, comptroller, borough president, and council member, as well as local ballot initiatives. New York City Mayor Eric Adams supported the move.
According to the measure that was passed, non-citizens in New York, who would reside in the city for at least 30 days before a local election, would be able to vote. Reportedly, this law would give approximately 800,000 non-citizens the right to vote in local elections.
The right to vote should only be for United States citizens – citizens by birth as well as naturalized citizens. I am a naturalized United States citizen. I stood before a federal judge and took the Oath of Allegiance to complete my naturalization process. Given below is the Oath of Allegiance.
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”
After I became an American citizen, I gained the right to vote in American elections.
Any foreign national with allegiance to a foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty must not be allowed to vote in any American election. Any foreign national who has not completed the process of becoming an American citizen by taking the Oath of Allegiance before a federal judge must not be allowed to vote in any American election. A law like the one that was approved in New York City would weaken the power of American citizenship by extending voting rights to foreign nationals.
The United States is a welcoming country. Every year, hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals become American citizens through the process of naturalization. After becoming citizens, they get the right to vote. Therefore, the right to vote must only be for citizens, and not for non-citizens living in America.
Fortunately, the Supreme Court in New York struck down the law that was approved by the New York City Council and supported by Mayor Adams. The court ruling would help prevent the erosion of American citizenship by preserving the right to vote for United States citizens only.
However, there are other several other places in America that already permit non-citizens to vote in local elections. This is detrimental for the power of American citizenship.
The right to vote is the foundation of the United States of America. We must protect and preserve this right for American citizens only. If non-citizens are given the right to vote, the power of American citizenship will be eroded.