The Washington Post’s editorial board on Monday said it opposes a Washington, D.C., council bill that would allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, calling it a “radical” and “bad idea” that runs into a myriad of issues.
The editorial board, which has opposed similar D.C. council proposals in the past, wrote in its opinion piece that allowing up to 50,000 noncitizens to vote in the district could open the door for foreign agents to cast a ballot.
“There’s nothing in this measure to prevent employees at embassies of governments that are openly hostile to the United States from casting ballots,” the board wrote, adding later: “We support increasing legal immigration and accelerating the process for the frustrating backlog of citizenship applications. Giving more people the right to vote is a vital endeavor, but it should be done the right way.”
The D.C. Council voted to advance the bill earlier this month. The legislation would allow any noncitizen to vote in local elections so long as they have resided in the district for 30 days.
D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen said in remarks when the bill passed that “our immigrant neighbors of all statuses participate, contribute and care about our community in our city.”
“They, like all DC residents, deserve a right to have a say in their government,” Allen said.
But The Washington Post’s editorial board argued the bill also “presents logistical nightmares” for the city, which will have to print separate ballots for noncitizens in an effort that could cost up to $3 million.
The board also noted that bipartisan efforts in Congress to pass improved immigration laws could stall because of the bill — as would D.C.’s movement to earn statehood.
“Many Republicans will point to this as validation of their claims that Democrats want open borders so they can win more elections,” the board wrote.