Santa Ana council stands firm on noncitizen voting ballot measure language despite legal challenge

A council majority decided to leave ballot language as written for a measure that could extend voting to noncitizens in Santa Ana, despite orders from an OC Superior Court judge to make changes.

Last fall, a majority of the Santa Ana City Council approved asking local voters in the upcoming November election whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote in city elections.

The ballot measure is set to ask voters: “Shall the city of Santa Ana city charter be amended to allow, by the November 2028 general municipal election, noncitizen city residents, including those who are taxpayers and parents, to vote in all city of Santa Ana municipal elections?”

In a lawsuit filed last month with the county’s Superior Court, James V. Lacy, a local attorney, along with the United States Justice Foundation, the California Public Policy Foundation and Pasquale Talarico, a Santa Ana resident, argued the wording “including those who are taxpayers and parents” could be misleading to voters.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly A. Knill agreed earlier this month and ordered Santa Ana City Clerk Jennifer Hall and OC Registrar of Voters Bob Page to make the changes sought or make their case in court.

“The language, I find to be unbiased. It is simply describing who noncitizens are. Noncitizens pay over $145 million in taxes in Orange County today,” Councilmember Johnathan Hernandez said during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. “Orange County wouldn’t be the county that it is without noncitizens.”

https://www.ocregister.com/2024/06/19/santa-ana-council-stands-firm-on-noncitizen-voting-ballot-measure-language-despite-legal-challenge/