SANTA ANA, Calif. — In the upcoming November elections, voters in Santa Ana, a city located in Orange County with a population of approximately 310,000, will determine if it will become the first city in California to permit noncitizens to participate in local elections through a proposed ballot measure.
Currently, individuals who are not U.S. citizens are prohibited from voting in federal elections, including for president. There have been no significant findings of voter fraud, despite heightened rhetoric from Republicans regarding the illegal voting of immigrants. They contend that legislation is vital to maintaining the integrity of electoral processes.
However, across the United States, an increasing number of municipalities are adopting measures that allow noncitizen residents to vote in local elections, such as those for city councils and mayors. Advocates stress that it is equitable for these individuals, who reside in the communities and pay taxes, to have a voice in their local governance.
Several states, including Maryland, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., have enacted laws granting voting rights to noncitizens in local elections. In 2022, New York City also extended local voting rights to noncitizens, but a state judge later nullified this law just months later, and the city is currently appealing that ruling.
“It’s been taxation without representation,” stated Santa Ana city councilmember Benjamin Vazquez. He emphasized that nearly a third of the city’s population lacks input on government decisions.
According to estimates from the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice, noncitizen residents of Santa Ana contribute around $117 million annually in state and local taxes, with many being of Mexican and Central American heritage.
If the measure passes, it could make around 70,000 residents eligible to vote, said Vazquez. The political landscape in Orange County has shifted leftward due to changing demographics, although local Republican dominance remains.
Details regarding the implementation of the measure would be finalized if it is approved, but it could potentially include permanent residents, visa holders, refugees, and undocumented immigrants.
James Lacy, an attorney and president of the nonprofit U.S. Justice Foundation, has launched a lawsuit against the ballot measure, claiming its language is prejudiced in favor of its approval. An Orange County Superior Court judge has ruled in Lacy’s favor, mandating revisions to the wording.
Lacy previously challenged the San Francisco Unified School District in 2016 for allowing noncitizen parents to vote in school board elections. An appeals court upheld the district’s actions, arguing it did not contravene the state constitution.
