Los Angeles' initiative to allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in city elections has been removed from the November ballot following a unanimous vote by the City Council. The council voted 14-0 on Tuesday to send two charter amendments back to committee, citing mounting legal, privacy, and election administration concerns.
The proposals, which would have modified the Los Angeles City Charter to grant future City Councils the authority to expand voting eligibility in city and Los Angeles Unified School District elections, faced significant pushback.
A report from the City Attorney's Office highlighted that the charter amendments would delegate major decisions to future City Councils and questioned the enforceability of a provision limiting when those councils could amend election rules. Councilman John Lee urged the measure's withdrawal, stating that the city had not sufficiently examined the legal, fiscal, administrative, or privacy implications. He pointed to San Francisco, which allows limited noncitizen voting, as an example where voter registration materials caution applicants about potential information disclosure to federal immigration authorities.
Councilwoman Traci Park expressed that the City Attorney's draft left her with more questions than answers, emphasizing that voters might not understand what they would be approving. She raised concerns about protecting immigrants' personal information, the feasibility of the Los Angeles County administering a separate election system, and the lack of consultation with county election officials. Park also noted that other cities, such as Santa Ana, Oakland, and Washington D.C., have faced legal and implementation challenges with noncitizen voting measures.
Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez, the proposal's author, defended the expansion of voting rights for noncitizen residents, emphasizing their contributions to the community. However, he acknowledged the need for further work after concerns were raised by community groups. The proposals are now slated for further review by the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee before any potential reconsideration for future ballots.