Assemblyman Jeff Gallahan (R,C-Manchester) gathered with other members of the Assembly Minority Conference at a press conference in Albany yesterday to call for the passage of a bill (A.9095) that would amend the New York State Constitution to reserve the right to vote in state elections to American citizens exclusively.

The effort to have the bill passed comes in response to a decision by the New York City Council to implement a policy allowing non-citizens to vote in the city’s elections. This raised concerns among Gallahan and other Assembly Minority members that efforts could be undertaken to implement a similar policy at a statewide level, jeopardizing the integrity of elections throughout New York.

“The right to vote is something sacred, and by protecting the integrity of our elections, we make the votes of those who do more meaningful,” said Gallahan. “New Yorkers deserve elections and a state government that they can trust. By passing this constitutional amendment, we’ll ensure dangerous policies like the one enacted in the city are never allowed to jeopardize the trustworthiness of our state’s electoral processes.”