Amid national scrutiny, LA takes step toward noncitizen voting

A Los Angeles official is looking to open up a pathway for noncitizens to vote in local elections. It’s an effort that — if it goes forward — would play out amid continued scrutiny over elections and voting security in the United States.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez presented a motion on April 29 to begin the process of placing a measure on the November ballot.

The measure in and of itself wouldn’t immediately grant noncitizen voting if approved by Los Angelenos — city officials would still need to adopt an ordinance to establish how noncitizen voting would work, according to the councilmember’s office.

“For me, this is a simple issue of fairness,” Soto-Martínez said. “After my parents immigrated here from Mexico, they worked hard, paid taxes, raised their kids in our public schools, but for decades, they had no voice in the decisions shaping their community until they became citizens.”

While Los Angeles doesn’t have the authority to “fully halt” federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, it can “enfranchise and empower its immigrant population to participate” in city and Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member elections by reforming the city’s charter, according to the motion.

“Despite their many economic and cultural contributions, noncitizen Angelenos remain disenfranchised and underrepresented in the local elections and decisions that determine their quality of life,” the motion reads. “It is imperative that the City grant noncitizens the right to vote in the City they live in and significantly strengthen, to foster a more representative electorate.”

Does noncitizen voting exist elsewhere?

You have to be a citizen to vote in federal elections; However, some areas allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, according to USAGov.

For example, San Francisco allows certain noncitizens to vote in its school board elections. However, a notice on San Francisco’s website flags that any information provided to its Department of Elections "may be obtained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement," raising real questions about the risks noncitizens could face in their efforts to engage with local elections.

For years, President Donald Trump has made numerous allegations about fraud taking place in U.S. elections. In recent months, who can vote and how have been the subject of presidential and congressional actions, from the president's executive order on voter rolls and mail-in ballots to the SAVE America Act, the latter of which was branded as an election security measure that would prevent noncitizens from voting, which is already illegal and exceedingly rare. In 2024, the American Immigration Council reported that there were fewer than 70 proven cases of noncitizens voting in elections over the last 40 years.

What’s next in LA?

The November ballot measure is still a bit far off.

The motion must go through a city council committee and get approval; after that, it’ll go to the city council for a vote before June 30, according to the councilmember’s office.

USA TODAY reporter Nicole Fallert contributed to this story.

Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].