The New York Coalition 
to Expand Voting Rights
Raised Voices

Mr. Morshed Alam, President, American-Bangladesh Friendship Association 
"Legal immigrants pay taxes like others. They should have voting rights in local elections to choose a representative who will help them with local issues every day."

Mr. Partha Banerjee, Executive Director, New Jersey Immigration Policy Network
"When we know that immigrants vote in twenty two countries but the USA is not one of them, it bothers me. On one hand, we're preaching about the so-called land of immigrants, equal opportunity, freedom for all and other feel-good rhetoric, and at the same time practicing just the opposite. This is hypocrisy. Voting rights for legal immigrants must be a cornerstone for us if we really want to believe we're an open, free and democratic country."

New York State Senator Martin Malave Dilan 
"I have introduced legislation that would greatly benefit New Yorkers by allowing more individuals to participate in the democratic process. Non-citizens are eligible to vote in certain elections, such as those for governing bodies of Federal community-based anti-poverty programs. Given the fact that people from all corners of the world have come here for the freedoms they might not otherwise have, and indeed are truly appreciative of those freedoms, it makes sense to give permanent residents the right to vote."

Mr. Ron Hayduk Professor, Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY) and representative of the Professional Staff Congress 
"Why should immigrants pay taxes but have no say in how their hard earned money is spent? This taxation without representation is un-American and it is un-democratic. Restoring immigrant voting rights would be a huge stride toward achieving true universal suffrage."

New York State Senator Thomas K. Duane
“[Non-citizen voting] isn’t just good policy, it’s also smart policy. Voting is an extension of community involvement and while it is not a panacea to social woes, providing residents with the power of the vote means they are more likely to take an active role in community organizations, block associations, parent associations, police precinct councils and countless other community and neighborhood groups.”

New York City Council Member Letitia James 
"As an elected official in New York City, I strive to serve all of my constituents, but when so many New York City residents aren't counted in the political process, our democracy cannot truly be representative."

New York State Senator John W. Lavelle 
"Who has a greater stake in our society than a recent immigrant? To deny them the right to vote is not what this nation is about."

Mr. Bill Lynch, Former New York City Deputy Mayor
“This bill asks us to share power with our neighbors—people who live next door to us and in some cases have been here longer than us. The Council should pass this bill not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it promises to greatly enrich our civic life. We NEED the participation of hundreds of thousands of immigrant voters.”

Mr. Chuck Mohan President, Guyanese-American Workers United 
"Voting is a human right."

Rhoda Muchoki, Kenyan-born New York City artist and storyteller
“I want to vote because I am tired of rooting for the candidates of my choice and never being able to help them win.  Watching every election day come and go from the side-lines is depressing.  Still I always pick a candidate to root for.  Bur since I cannot vote I am reduced to crossing fingers for the, throwing pennies in a pond and wishing that they would win, hoping and praying for the best.  What my candidate of choice could really use is my vote.  One vote is more effective than a ton of mumbo jumbo.” 

New York City Council Member Bill Perkins 
"The essence of citizenship is not simply the right to vote…the right to vote is the essence of democracy. That is why I want the franchise expanded and to be inclusive."

Mr. Sri Peddu, Volunteer, New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) 
"The right to VOTE is the most basic way of 'counting' a human being and addressing his or her human rights. By expanding the franchise to the non-citizen immigrant community, the onus of holding elected representatives accountable and the legitimacy of government, in the way it allocates public services and resources, would then reside in the control of ALL members of the City. In a representative democracy, that is true empowerment."

Mr. Bryan Pu-Folkes Executive Director, New Immigrant Community Empowerment
"This is not an extreme policy proposal. In New York City immigrants voted in school board elections for almost 30 years. Immigrants in several cities in Maryland have been voting in municipal elections for over 10 years. Immigrants vote in over 20 countries, on every continent. This is not an extreme policy proposal, quite the contrary it is keeping within the American tradition of ensuring a strong, robust, and working democracy."

Jamin B. Raskin, Professor of Law, American University 
"Democracy requires participation by everyone and it is good for all of us when all of our neighbors participate."

New York City Council Member Diana Reyna 
"One of the biggest challenges to bringing resources to Williamsburg and Bushwick is harnessing the potential power of the many immigrant residents. Empowering these residents would change the political equation and give immigrant communities equal footing with the rest of the city."

New York State Assemblymember Annette M. Robinson 
"The right to vote and the assurance of that vote being counted provides confidence that democracy is still the American way of life."

New York Council City Member Kendall Stewart 
"Just because we all are here and have our citizenship and the right to vote does not mean that we should forget those who have just arrived."

Ms. Theresa Thanjan 
"Being a citizen, I've always been disheartened by the empty voting booths in my district; not only for general elections but even more so, for local elections. I strongly believe if given the chance, the large numbers of immigrants in my district would exercise their right to vote, and they would consider it to be a privilege. Immigrant voting is tied to the core principles of the Constitution based on inclusion, not exclusion. It is both democratic and necessary. Voting=power=empowerment."

Ms. Michele Wucker, Senior Fellow, World Policy Institute 
"With record numbers of immigrants, it is extremely important that we as a nation send incipient Americans the message that we want and expect them to take a stake in their adopted communities. Resident voting rights encourage immigrants to make a commitment to local citizenship, which is the first step toward eventual naturalization and being engaged, involved Americans."

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Last updated December 11, 2005