Why New York City Allows Noncitizens to Vote: J. Christian Adams

J. Christian Adams is the president and general counsel of the Public Interest Legal Foundation. He served from 2005 to 2010 in the voting section at the United States Department of Justice Voting Section. President Donald Trump appointed Adams to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. Trump also appointed Adams as a commissioner to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, where he also now serves with a term through 2025. At the 2022 National Conservatism Conference, Adams spoke on the topic “Litigating for Election Integrity.” NTD caught up with him on the sidelines of the event. “If they're a Chinese national [on a tourist visa], they could just say, 'I live here now,'” Adams said. “It's crazy. No other country would allow this. And frankly, the United States makes it a crime for federal elections. You can't be a noncitizen and vote for Congress, senator, or president, it's a felony. But states have the power to run their own elections. And New York City has passed this law to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.”