Current:Home > InvestVoters in California city reject measure allowing noncitizens to vote in local races-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Voters in California city reject measure allowing noncitizens to vote in local races
View Date:2024-12-23 15:35:51
Follow AP’s coverage of the election and what happens next.
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Voters in a Southern California city rejected a measure that would have allowed residents who aren’t U.S. citizens to vote in local elections.
Measure DD was rejected by 60% of the voters in Santa Ana, a city of about 310,000 in Orange County that’s southeast of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
Santa Ana, a predominantly Latino community, had more votes for Vice President Kamala Harris than President-elect Donald Trump. Experts say the rejection of the measure may indicate that voters, especially Latino voters, are shifting their attitudes about immigration.
“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.
The measure faced steep opposition from local officials and conservative groups such as Policy Issues Institute, which claimed it would be costly and litigious and upend citizens’ rights.
Carlos Perea, an immigrant rights advocate who supported the measure, said those groups “hit the panic button.”
The results reflect Trump’s influence in a year when the former president campaigned heavily against illegal immigration said Perea, executive director of the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice.
It’s illegal for people who are not U.S. citizens to vote for president or other federal offices, and there is no indication of widespread voter fraud by citizens or noncitizens, though many leading Republicans have turned the specter of immigrants voting illegally into a major issue. They argue that legislation is necessary to protect the sanctity of the vote.
But a growing number of communities across the United States are passing laws allowing residents who aren’t U.S. citizens to vote in local elections, such as city council and mayoral races. Supporters say it’s only fair since they live in the communities and pay taxes.
San Francisco passed Proposition N in 2016 to allow noncitizens with children under 18 years old to vote in school board elections. Prop N passed after two similar measures were rejected in 2004 and 2010.
Other states with municipalities that allow residents without citizenship to vote include Maryland, Vermont, and recently, Washington, D.C., New York City granted local voting rights to noncitizens in 2022, but a state judge struck down the law months later and stopped it from ever going into effect. The city is now in the process of appealing the decision.
veryGood! (59)
Related
- Diamond Sports Group can emerge out of bankruptcy after having reorganization plan approved
- First Water Tests Show Worrying Signs From Cook Inlet Gas Leak
- Global Warming Is Hitting Ocean Species Hardest, Including Fish Relied on for Food
- LGBTQ+ youth are less likely to feel depressed with parental support, study says
- When do new 'Yellowstone' episodes come out? Here's the Season 5, Part 2 episode schedule
- Tennessee becomes the first state to pass a ban on public drag shows
- People who think they're attractive are less likely to wear masks, a study shows
- Chinese Solar Boom a Boon for American Polysilicon Producers
- 'Devastation is absolutely heartbreaking' from Southern California wildfire
- Montana man sentenced to 18 years for shooting intended to clean town of LGBTQ+ residents
Ranking
- Gossip Girl Actress Chanel Banks Reported Missing After Vanishing in California
- Global Warming Was Already Fueling Droughts in Early 1900s, Study Shows
- Greenpeace Activists Avoid Felony Charges Following a Protest Near Houston’s Oil Port
- Uber and Lyft Are Convenient, Competitive and Highly Carbon Intensive
- Man found dead in tanning bed at Indianapolis Planet Fitness; family wants stricter policies
- Stone flakes made by modern monkeys trigger big questions about early humans
- DOJ report finds Minneapolis police use dangerous excessive force and discriminatory conduct
- Fossil Fuel Industries Pumped Millions Into Trump’s Inauguration, Filing Shows
Recommendation
-
Trump ally Steve Bannon blasts ‘lawfare’ as he faces New York trial after federal prison stint
-
Pittsburgh synagogue shooter found guilty in Tree of Life attack
-
Blac Chyna Debuts Edgy Half-Shaved Head Amid Personal Transformation Journey
-
Obama Unveils Sharp Increase in Auto Fuel Economy
-
Where is 'College GameDay' for Week 12? Location, what to know for ESPN show
-
Despite Pledges, Birmingham Lags on Efficiency, Renewables, Sustainability
-
U.S. Intelligence: foreign rivals didn't cause Havana Syndrome
-
Save 30% On Spanx Shorts and Step up Your Spring Style With These Top-Sellers