The Louisville Metro Council is asking the Kentucky Attorney general to give his opinion on whether a Councilman who is a dual-citizen is eligible to serve on the body.
The vote Thursday evening is the latest move by Council members to determine whether Vitalis Lanshima of District 21 can be both a voting citizen in his native Nigeria and a “qualified voter” in Kentucky. Being a qualified voter is one of the criteria for serving on Metro Council.
At the Metro Council meeting, Lanshima voted against the resolution because he said the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that a dual-citizen can vote in another country and in the United States.
“The right to be an elected official in Kentucky is your right to vote, essentially. So are you telling me that any American who is a dual-citizen cannot vote in America because they are dual-citizens?” asked Lanshima.
The Kentucky Attorney general is not required to take action based on the Metro Council’s resolution.
