'Election interference': GOP senator launches push to shut down noncitizen voting in DC elections

Legislation introduced by a Republican lawmaker would require citizenship for Washington, D.C., residents to vote in municipal elections, after a legislative change in the city.

The Local Resident Voting Rights Act, passed by the D.C. Council in October 2022, states that if a noncitizen is otherwise qualified to vote, they can do so in local elections so long as they have resided in Washington, D.C., for at least 30 days. It also permits noncitizen residents to run for Washington, D.C., government offices and serve on the city's Board of Elections, according to court documents. However, it would not allow illegal immigrants to vote. Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at adam.shaw2@fox.com or on Twitter.

The law sparked outrage and an unsuccessful effort in Congress to overturn it. One legal group sued to overturn it, but that effort was struck down this year. While Washington, D.C., has home rule authority and can pass laws without federal consent, Congress has the authority to strike down Washington, D.C., laws it disapproves of.