Dear John, 

This morning, our members and allies rallied with us in front of the NYS Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in Brooklyn, as oral arguments began to call on the court to protect democracy and reinstate the Our City, Our Vote Law (Local Law 11).

Our City, Our Vote legislation became Local Law 11 in January 2022, granting over a million eligible New York City residents with legal permanent status or work authorization the right to vote in municipal elections. This law enabled the largest expansion of voting rights in a generation, granting more New Yorkers the right to fully participate in decisions about the communities where they live, work and raise their families.

But Republican lawmakers soon filed a lawsuit in Staten Island, where a judge overturned the greatest expansion of the electorate in recent memory and immediately disenfranchised New Yorkers across the five boroughs. The City of New York appealed the decision soon after, which brings us to today’s oral arguments at the NYS Supreme Court, Appellate Division.

Help fuel our fight in support of this historic bill giving more New Yorkers a voice in the crucial issues that govern their everyday lives by joining us on Twitter!

We won’t be stopped by those who want to stifle democracy and fearmonger. New Yorkers have been denied a local voice on the issues that affect them and on how their tax dollars are spent for far too long. Local Law 11 law was rigorously analyzed by a team of lawyers and we know it to be constitutional. It’s time for New York City to have a truly representational democracy—please join our fight!

Theodore Moore
Vice President of Policy & Programs