Noncitizens would be allowed to vote in Santa Ana under November ballot measure

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Should non-U.S. citizens be allowed to vote in municipal elections?

Santa Ana's Measure DD on the November ballot would allow any person who has established residency in that city to vote in local elections, regardless of citizenship status - as long as the person meets California's other voting requirements.

Tracy La says her husband would benefit from the measure, after dedicating his time as an advocate and organizer for community causes.

"He has been advocating for the community," La says. "He's been an organizer in the community. He's been an organizer for almost two decades now. I've seen how much he and others like him have poured into this city to make it such a vibrant place."

According to a May 2024 report by the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice, nearly a quarter of the city's population - more than 70,000 people - are noncitizens.

La's husband, Carlos Perea, is executive director of the nonprofit behind the report. Though he has a permit to legally work in the country, Perea says like many of his noncitizen neighbors, he lives in limbo waiting for a change in immigration policy at the federal level to provide him a pathway to citizenship.

In the meantime, he can't vote.

"We pay taxes," Perea says. "We pay more than $170 million in state and local taxes and we want to have a say in how our city government is run just like everyone else."

Eyewitness News reached out to Santa Ana's mayor and the two other council members who voted against putting Measure DD on the ballot, but they have not agreed to an interview.

We have not heard back from former Santa Ana councilmember Nelida Mendoza who authored the argument against Measure DD.

On the ballot Mendoza's statement reads in part: "This would cost the city $10 million, leading to massive budget cuts in public safety, emergency services, and other city priorities. ... We support our immigrant residents and Santa Ana is a vibrant city rich in the traditions of immigrant communities, families, and businesses. But we must assess the importance of protecting neighborhoods, cleaning and fixing our streets, and picking up trash."

La and Perea say those immigrant communities are the city's backbone, and the city should prioritize giving them a voice.

"Santa Ana is that way because working-class immigrant communities that can't even vote made it that way. They were able to build power and organize but they don't have the right to vote."