L.A. Council Member Pushes Plan to Let Noncitizens Vote in City Elections

Los Angeles voters could be asked this year to take the first step toward giving noncitizens the right to vote in city and school board elections.

City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, who represents an Echo Park-to-Hollywood district, released a proposal Wednesday to ask voters in the Nov. 3 election to give the council the power to let noncitizens vote in city elections, including those for mayor and City Council, as well as for Los Angeles Board of Education seats.

The proposal faces multiple hurdles that could derail it. The council must vote to put the measure on the ballot and after that, voters would have to approve it. If passed by voters, the council would still need to pass an ordinance revising city election law.

Soto-Martínez, whose parents were at one time undocumented, said his proposal would help L.A.’s immigrant communities at a time when they are under assault from the Trump administration, which has launched immigration raids around the country and sought to revoke birthright citizenship.

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The proposal, which was also signed by Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, now heads to the council’s rules committee for consideration.

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Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. However, states are allowed to set their own local and statewide election rules.

Noncitizens secured the right to vote in school board races in San Francisco. Oakland voters approved a similar move in 2022 but it has not yet been implemented, according to Ballotpedia.

Meanwhile, voters in Santa Ana rejected a proposal in 2024 to let noncitizens cast ballots in that city’s local races.

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