in september 2007, paterson weighed in on a proposal before the new york city council to extend voting rights to noncitizens. he told a crowd gathered at the west indian american day carnival parade that he believed noncitizens should be granted voting rights. he stressed he was asking for a change in policy, rather than a new law, citing that although 22 states and territories between 1776 and 1920 allowed the practice, none do now. spitzer issued a statement that he did not agree with paterson's position, and claimed he was unaware paterson would be speaking on the matter. paterson had tried to introduce legislation granting voting rights to noncitizens as a state senator fifteen years earlier.