NY ballot measure aimed at protecting abortion could allow illegal migrants to vote, critics say: 'Trojan horse of epic proportions' | 30 Sept 2024 | A proposed referendum on New York's ballot aimed at protecting abortion rights could give illegal migrants the right to vote, according to a lawyer spearheading opposition to it. Westchester County-based constitutional lawyer Bobbi Anne Cox said Proposition 1, aka the Equal Rights Amendment, is being promoted as enshrining the right to an abortion in the state constitution. But she said that since the sloppily crafted proposed referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot...potentially allows for a host of serious other consequences, too. The text of the proposed amendment says, "No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws of this state" and would extend all of those protections to everyone regardless of "race, color, ethnicity, national origin..." Cox said "national origin" can refer to foreigners or non-citizens and illegal immigrants -- and that the "laws of the state" include voting. "It would put non-citizens and illegal immigrants on the same plan as citizens. It's a trojan horse of epic proportions," she claimed. "It covers anybody. That includes people who came here illegally and broke our laws. This is unbelievable," she said.