In a win for immigrants nationwide, the New York City Council voted Thursday to approve legislation that would expand the voting rights of hundreds of legal noncitizens, allowing them to partake in local elections. Easily approved by the council and advocacy groups, the bill allows the state’s legal permanent residents the right to vote—a fair exchange to those who pay taxes but, until now, had no say in how their tax dollars are spent. The bill, titled “Our City, Our Vote,” applies to noncitizen residents who have resided in the city for at least 30 days, including green card holders, DACA holders, and those who are legally authorized to work in the country. It passed in a vote of 33 to 14. While the bill allows voting in local elections, noncitizens still remain barred from voting in state and federal elections. According to the Associated Press, about 800,000 people will benefit from this legislation. Read more