Los Angeles just moved one step closer to letting people who aren’t American citizens vote in city elections.
The City Council voted 10-5 on Wednesday to place a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot that would give the city legal authority to create a program allowing certain noncitizens to participate in municipal and LAUSD elections. If voters approve, Los Angeles would join San Francisco and Oakland in expanding the franchise beyond U.S. citizens.
The proposal wouldn’t extend to federal elections. But critics are already raising serious questions about how election officials would ensure noncitizen voters only receive ballots for races they’re legally permitted to participate in, and whether such a system could undermine public trust in elections altogether.
Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, who introduced the proposal in April, says eligibility would be limited to residents with some form of legal status. That includes DACA recipients, green card holders, and individuals with temporary protected status.
“People have spent many years here, and in many cases, decades, contributing to the city of Los Angeles,” Soto-Martinez said during the council debate. “This is about local representation and local democracy.”
He later added, “We say LA is for everyone, and that means no exceptions.”
But not everyone on the council agreed.
Councilman John Lee urged caution, arguing that voting eligibility isn’t like ordinary policy decisions.
“Election laws are different from ordinary policy decisions,” Lee said. “They establish rules under which elected officials are chosen and held accountable, and because of that, changes to voting eligibility should be approached with the utmost public trust and legitimacy.”
The practical challenges alone are significant. Los Angeles relies on Los Angeles County to administer elections, and city officials have yet to explain several critical details: how noncitizen voters would be registered, what documentation would be required to prove eligibility, and how separate voter rolls would be maintained.
Then there’s the question of ballot distribution. How would election officials ensure participants receive ballots only for local races while preventing them from receiving ballots for state and federal contests? No answers yet.
Ira Mehlman, spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, told the Los Angeles Times that the measure threatens to diminish the meaning of citizenship itself.
“Citizenship does mean something. It means you are a fully participating member of society,” Mehlman said. “It doesn’t seem unreasonable to say you’ve got to do some time here and demonstrate that you’re somebody that we want as a citizen.”
California law currently requires citizenship in order to register to vote. However, multiple cities in the state have carved out exceptions for local elections. San Francisco began allowing noncitizens to vote in school board elections in 2016. Oakland followed in 2022.
Supporters argue the measure simply gives long-term residents a voice in local decisions that affect their families and communities. Opponents counter that voting has always been a privilege reserved for citizens, one earned through the naturalization process or the birthright of being American.
If Los Angeles voters approve the measure on Nov. 3, city officials would then begin the process of determining who qualifies, how the program would be administered, and whether it can survive the legal challenges that would almost certainly follow.
