Non-citizens should not have vote

It is not without bitter irony that, as we approach Independence

Day — a celebration marking the greatest triumph of self-determination in history — America’s largest city stood on the brink of allowing non-citizens to vote in municipal elections.

That bears repeating. Several months ago, New York City Council passed a law that would allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in the Big Apple for offices such as Mayor, Borough President and City Council. If not for the common sense of a state judge who recently struck down the law, there would have been upwards of one million non-citizens voting in our elections. And yes, they are our elections, even for those who don’t live in New York, because every citizen owns a stake in every election in America, from dogcatcher to President. That is our unique right, but one that is under peril when such laws are passed.

The fight isn’t over. While NYC is the biggest city to attempt such a move, there are numerous towns in Maryland and Vermont that already allow non-citizen voting, as well as San Francisco, which allows it for school board races.

In his ruling, the judge cited New York’s constitution where it states: “Every citizen shall be entitled to vote at every election for all officers elected by the people and upon all questions submitted to the vote of the people…” and “Laws shall be made for ascertaining, by proper proofs, the citizens who shall be entitled to the right of suffrage hereby established, and for the registration of voters…”

Since it doesn’t get any more clear-cut about only citizens being able to vote, it is baffling as to how City Council passed such a law. Whether done out of arrogance, ignorance, or misguidedness, it made a mockery out of America’s electoral system.

Our election system is clearly in need of an overhaul. Here are some ideas to enfranchise more people and safeguard each legal person’s vote, while making it less prone to political gamesmanship.

• All federal elections should be standardized by being brought under federal control. States should not have the ability to: 1) change how electoral college votes are awarded; 2) have different ballot requirements for federal offices; 3) be permitted to allow their electors to cast a vote for anyone other than the candidate who won. And it should be federal law that only U.S. citizens can vote in American elections, at every level. Federalizing election law is a common-sense way to protect citizens’ rights and bring election reform into the 21st century.

• The Electoral College must stay. Period. Those complaining that it needs to go are ignoring the Founding Fathers’ wisdom and looking at the situation with acute shortsightedness. The point of the Electoral College, in which electoral votes are awarded to the winner of a state’s popular vote, is to protect smaller states, as well as demonstrate each state’s uniqueness. Since the majority fall into the “small state” category, they would be dominated, if the popular vote ruled, by the will of a few heavily-populated ones.

• Abolish the electors since they are unnecessary. The system works well by allotting winner-take-all electoral votes for each state. Injecting the agenda of 538 individuals, who can choose to ignore tradition, and even the law, by casting their vote for whomever they please, creates a dangerous situation.

• This one is simple: there should be a federal voter-ID requirement. The argument that such a law would “disenfranchise” the poor, elderly and minorities completely lacks merit. Anyone who cannot afford a driver’s license can have a government-sanctioned ID issued at no cost. (States should be mandated to provide that service). It is unfathomable that in today’s society, where we need an ID to fly, enter office buildings and schools, and even to buy antihistamine, we don’t afford the same security for our most sacred right — voting.

• No early voting. Not only does this practice add considerable expense to local governments, it’s also unnecessary. From a common-sense perspective, what happens when a citizen casts a vote weeks before election day, and subsequently learns something distressing about his candidate? A remedy for “voter’s remorse” doesn’t exist. Practically, there is no need. Sure, some work long hours, or will otherwise be tied up on election day. That’s why God made absentee ballots.

Reforming our election system would likely ensure better candidates, and protect our hallowed right to cast a vote that counts. Maybe then we could choose a leader rather than the lesser of two evils.

Who wouldn’t vote for that?