U.S. Representative Nick LaLota (NY-01)
Photo from his official congressional page
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 884 this month, effectively seeking to overturn a District of Columbia law that had granted local voting rights to noncitizens, including lawful permanent residents. The bill, spearheaded by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), passed in a bipartisan vote of 266–148, with 56 Democrats joining the Republican majority.
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY), a co-sponsor of the measure and a former Commissioner of the Suffolk County Board of Elections, strongly supported the resolution.
“Voting is a sacred right reserved for U.S. citizens, and allowing noncitizens to cast ballots in our nation’s capital undermines that principle,” LaLota said in a statement. “I’m stunned that 148 Democrats opposed this commonsense bill—leaders of both parties should agree that only American citizens should vote in D.C. elections.”
Background on the Legislation
The D.C. Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 had allowed noncitizens—including green card holders, refugees, and undocumented immigrants residing in the District for at least 30 days—to vote in local elections such as those for mayor, city council, and school board. It did not permit voting in federal elections.
Supporters of the local law argued it expanded democratic participation in a city where nearly 14% of residents are noncitizens and many contribute to the local tax base and civic life.
However, opponents of the D.C. law—including House Republicans and several centrist Democrats—said it diluted the meaning of citizenship and risked eroding public confidence in the electoral system.
“Protecting our democracy starts with protecting the ballot,” LaLota said. He emphasized that noncitizen voting—even limited to local contests—sets a “dangerous precedent” for other jurisdictions.
Clash Over Home Rule
D.C. officials and advocates for the law have denounced the House action as a violation of home rule. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), the city’s non-voting representative in Congress, condemned H.R. 884 as “an unjustified attack on our local autonomy.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser also defended the 2022 law, framing it as a local decision grounded in D.C.’s diverse population and inclusive values.
The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate, where it has been referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Its prospects remain uncertain, with Democrats holding a slim majority and some senators wary of appearing to undermine D.C. self-governance.
Broader Implications
Although only a handful of U.S. jurisdictions allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, the issue has sparked national debate. San Francisco permits noncitizen residents—specifically parents or legal guardians of children in the city’s public school system—to vote in school board elections. In Maryland, more than a dozen municipalities, including Takoma Park, Hyattsville, Mount Rainier, Garrett Park, Somerset, Chevy Chase, Riverdale Park, Glen Echo, Barnesville, and Martin’s Additions, allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. Meanwhile, in Vermont, the cities of Montpelier and Winooski
Republican lawmakers have introduced federal legislation in recent years aimed at blocking or preempting such practices, arguing they blur the line between citizen and noncitizen rights. These efforts, including H.R. 884 and the more sweeping SAVE Act, reflect growing concern among conservatives that local policies granting voting rights to noncitizens—however limited—could set precedents that erode confidence in national elections.
