The L.A. City Council voted on Tuesday to pull the measure from the November ballot. It was a unanimous vote to send the draft ballot language to a committee for additional study after several councilmembers said it had not been properly vetted, according to the L.A. Times.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Measure to give noncitizens the right to vote in LA city elections to go before voters
Measure to give noncitizens the right to vote in LA city elections to go before voters
If signed into law, people with some form of legal status -- such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status holders and legal permanent residents -- would be allowed to vote.
There was an emotional exchange over the measure during Tuesday's City Council meeting.
"My concern here is that if this goes to the ballot, the voters won't really know what they are voting for, because we don't really know either," said Councilmember Traci Park.
"I don't want this to be something that gets pushed through, that is seen as something negative for the city of Los Angeles. I want this to pass," said Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who had been the chief proponent of the proposal.
Supporters say it would give people who have been paying taxes a chance to weigh in on their community's policies. But critics say it would go against what the founding fathers wanted.
Other cities, such as San Francisco, allow noncitizen voting.
Regardless, in a last-minute move, the L.A. City Council scrapped the proposal.
In a separate vote, the City Council also scrapped plans for a November ballot measure that would have given councilmembers power over policy at the Los Angeles Police Department. The Board of Los Angeles Police Commissioners, whose members are appointed by the mayor, currently has that responsibility.
In an 8-6 vote, the council decided to further study the proposal after the union representing rank-and-file LAPD officers threatened to sue the city, saying that labor negotiators failed to meet and confer with them over the proposal, according to the L.A. Times.
The general election will be held on Nov. 3, 2026.