OC City Rejects Measure That Would Have Allowed Noncitizens To Vote

SANTA ANA, CA — Voters in an Orange County city overwhelmingly rejected a measure that would have allowed noncitizens to vote in future local elections.

If it had passed, Measure DD would have made Santa Ana the first city in Southern California to grant voting rights to noncitizens. It would have allowed noncitizens in Santa Ana to vote in city council, mayoral, and municipal elections starting in 2028.

Some 60% (41,352) of voters in Santa Ana — a predominantly Latino city — voted "no" on the measure, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

It’s illegal for people who are not U.S. citizens to vote for president or other federal offices. But cities can pass their own laws to determine whether noncitizens can vote. In 2016, San Francisco passed Prop. N to allow immigrants with children under 18 years old to vote in school board elections. Noncitizens can also vote in some communities across Maryland, Vermont and Washington D.C.

In an election that was heavy on anti-immigration talk, the measure's failure may demonstrate shifting attitudes toward immigration among Latino voters, experts say.

“This is kind of in line with trends we’ve been seeing in both polling and elections of the Latino community getting more conservative on issues of immigration,” said Jon Gould, dean of the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine.

Opponents argued that the measure would upend citizens' rights while advocates said it would strengthen the city's Democracy and ensure fair representation in local elections.

"They pay taxes, own homes and property, run local businesses, work, and raise families in Santa Ana," according to an advocacy statement from the ACLU. "They should be able to vote for city officials who make decisions that impact their daily lives."

The results highlight Trump’s influence in a year when the former president actively campaigned against illegal immigration, according to Carlos Perea, executive director of the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice.

“In the backdrop, we had this growing anti-immigrant, nativist, fascist rhetoric rising in the country,” Perea told the Los Angeles Times, adding that he would keep trying to pass the measure in future elections.

Though there has been no indication of voter fraud, conservatives have cast suspicion on immigrants voting illegally. Since Trump lost the presidency in 2020, Republicans have ramped up arguments to bar noncitizens from voting.

On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he would demand that voter ID and proof of citizenship become a part of the voting process.

This year, in particular, Golden State conservatives have squabbled with Democrats over whether voters should be required to provide identification when voting. About 15 miles away from Santa Ana, in Huntington Beach, local officials said it would require residents to bring identification when voting amid widespread fears that the 2020 election was stolen.

Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Orange County city, arguing that it violates state law.

“The right to freely cast your vote is the foundation of our democracy and Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy flies in the face of this principle,” Bonta said. "Imposing unnecessary obstacles to voter participation disproportionately burdens low-income voters, voters of color, young or elderly voters, and people with disabilities."

To clarify California’s existing law — which permits residents to vote without ID but was unclear on whether cities could impose stricter requirements — Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1174 in September. This legislation explicitly prohibits local governments from requiring voters to show ID when casting their ballots.

It remains to be seen whether Trump's administration will influence state law on this issue in California.

Liberal California is seeing a notable shift rightward this year as voters backed tough-on-crime measures, flipped some counties red and turned out for a Republican presidential candidate in higher numbers than in the last two elections, according to ongoing ballot counting.

Although the results are far from final, Republicans in California appeared to gain ground in several races.

READ MORE: Nearly 40% Of CA Voters Backed Trump So Far: See County Shifts, Trends