WASHINGTON — The House advanced a bill to ban noncitizens from voting in local elections in Washington, D.C., marking the latest step from Republicans to crack down on city policies they view as too liberal.
Lawmakers voted 268-148 largely along party lines to advance the measure, sending the bill over to the Republican-led Senate for consideration. The bill managed to garner some bipartisan support after 56 Democrats voted in favor.
However, the legislation’s future is uncertain as it would require seven Democrats to buck party leadership and support the proposal.
“The right to vote is a defining privilege of American citizenship,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a speech on the House floor. “Diluting that right by extending it to noncitizens — whether here legally or illegally — undermines the voice of D.C. residents.”
The bill would overturn the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act, a bill passed by the D.C. Council in 2022 that permits undocumented residents living in Washington to vote in local elections. City lawmakers have defended the measure by pointing to a “long history of the U.S. allowing noncitizens to vote in local (or) state” elections.
Lawmakers also note many of the undocumented residents pay local taxes, support businesses, and attend district schools — arguing that should qualify them to have a say in local elections.
However, Republicans have argued that allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections sets a dangerous precedent that could negatively harm local governments.
“Some may wrongly dismiss these as local elections. The reality is local elections are a vital part of our democratic process and have a significant impact on communities,” Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, who led the bill in the House, said in a speech. “Local elections determine matters such as taxation, the criminal code, and the election of city council members who create essential ordinances, including those that dictate voting rights.”
Additionally, Republicans have criticized the law as a way to dilute “the voice of American citizens.”
“It’s also important to acknowledge that many local elections are decided by razor-thin margins underscoring their significance and importance of active participation,” Pfluger said.
GOP lawmakers also cited opposition from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who withheld her signature from the ordinance but allowed it to take effect.
“Why would my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want foreigners to vote in local elections in Washington, D.C.? What’s the purpose?” Pfluger said. “Free and fair elections are prerequisites for the healthy republic our founding fathers envisioned, with the District of Columbia as the epicenter.”
House Republicans passed a bill in 2023 seeking to repeal the D.C. law allowing noncitizens to vote. The bill was spearheaded by Republicans but 52 Democrats ultimately joined all Republicans in approving the bill despite efforts from Democratic leadership to quash the proposal.
However, the legislation was never considered in the Senate, which was controlled by Democrats at the time.
Despite not being a state, Washington is permitted to operate as an independent city government under the D.C. Home Rule Act. However, local laws are still subject to congressional approval before they can take effect, occasionally setting up showdowns between Congress and local lawmakers.
The vote on Tuesday is the first of three bills being considered this week by the House to rein in some of D.C.’s local ordinances. Other proposals being considered would rescind D.C. Council policies allowing city employees to not comply with requests from the Department of Homeland Security or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.