Judge Upholds DC's Noncitizen Voting Law, Dismisses Lawsuit

A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit challenging Washington, D.C.'s law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections lacked standing, affirming the law's 2024 implementation.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., dismissed a lawsuit challenging a local law that permits noncitizens to vote in municipal elections, ruling the plaintiffs did not prove the law violates their rights.
The law, passed in 2022, will allow noncitizens, including legal residents and green card holders, to vote in local but not federal elections starting with the 2024 elections.
House Republicans attempted to block the law, but their efforts were unsuccessful as the measure was not taken up by the Senate before the 30-day deadline.
In a parallel case, New York City's noncitizen voting law was blocked by a state appeals court, finding it violated the state constitution, while a civil rights law firm has appealed the decision.
The judge ruled that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate how they were harmed by noncitizens voting, dismissing the lawsuit for lack of standing.