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Diana Salas emigrated from Ecuador to New York 10 years ago. She is now 25 years old, lives in Woodside and speaks perfect English. She has a Masters Degree in Public Administration, pays taxes and considers herself to have been raised in the United States. But when Election Day comes around, there is something that separates her from the rest of her family, all of whom have obtained U.S. citizenship – she can’t vote.

The electoral rights of non-citizens have become the subject of increasing debate. Legislation introduced to the City Council April 20, which would give non-citizen residents of New York City the right to vote in municipal elections, has spurred debate.

On the one hand are groups like the New York Coalition to Expand Voter Rights, which represents more than 50 organizations rallying in support of the legislation. And on the other hand are people like Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Council Speaker Gifford Miller. The mayor said he believes the issue raises significant legal questions. “The State Constitution only provides the right to vote to U.S. citizens,” he said in a statement released in 2003.

NYCEVR disputes the claim that there is a link between citizenship and voting. “It’s a false notion,” said Bryan Pu-Folkes, the executive director of New Immigrant Community Empowerment, a Queens-based advocacy organization that is part of NYCEVR. “When this country was first founded immigrant non-citizens had the right to vote.”
If non-citizens could vote it would increase New York City’s electorate by 20 percent. And new voters would be more likely to vote than previously registered voters. “In the past few years New York has seen a slight rise in voter participation,” said Ron Hayduk, a professor of Political Science at Manhattan City College. “The majority of the increase is directly attributable to newly naturalized citizens.”

This potential increase in the electorate could explain the attention the issue has received from politicians. While Hayduk said it was just speculation, he admitted that Bloomberg could be concerned new immigrants would register and vote for Democrats. Mayoral candidate C. Virginia Fields, who supported the proposal, could be banking on the same prospect.

The Mayor’s argument is that immigrants should become citizens first. And to that end he said that the City should use its power to help immigrants to do so as quickly as possible.

Diana Salas tells a different story. She came to America legally but because of a discrepancy in her papers, 10 years later she still is not a citizen. The people at the INS, who she said were often rude, do not always have the necessary translators on hand. “The reality is that I speak English and can defend myself,” she said. Not everyone is so lucky.”