California city residents oppose voting rights for noncitizens

SANTA ANA, California: Voters in a Southern California city rejected a measure that would have allowed residents who are not U.S. citizens to vote in local elections.

The Los Angeles Times reported this week that 60 percent of the voters in Santa Ana, a city of about 310,000 in Orange County southeast of Los Angeles, rejected Measure DD.

In Santa Ana, a largely Latino community, Vice President Kamala Harris received more votes than President-elect Donald Trump. Experts suggest this trend might signal a shift in Latino voters' attitudes on immigration issues.

The measure in question met strong opposition from local officials and conservative groups like the Policy Issues Institute, which argued it would be costly, provoke litigation, and infringe on citizens' rights.

Carlos Perea, an immigrant rights advocate and executive director of the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice, supported the measure, stating that opposing groups "hit the panic button." Perea believes the vote reflects Trump's influence in a year when he focused heavily on curbing illegal immigration.

While federal law prohibits non-U.S. citizens from voting in presidential or federal elections, no evidence suggests widespread voter fraud by citizens or noncitizens. Nonetheless, many Republican leaders have highlighted illegal voting by immigrants as a significant concern, advocating for legislation to protect voting integrity.

Across the U.S., however, more communities are passing local laws that allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections, such as for city councils or mayors. Advocates argue this inclusion is fair since noncitizens live in these communities and pay taxes.

In 2016, San Francisco passed Proposition N, permitting noncitizen parents to vote in school board elections, following two similar failed attempts in 2004 and 2010. Other states, including Maryland, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., also allow noncitizen voting in specific municipalities.

New York City extended local voting rights to noncitizens in 2022, but a state judge quickly struck down the law. The city is now appealing the decision.