Voters in Santa Ana are overwhelmingly rejecting Measure DD, which would have granted non-U.S. citizens the right to vote in city elections.
With over half of returned ballots counted, 62% of voters had rejected the measure. A simple majority is needed for the ballot measure to pass.
If the measure passes, Santa Ana will become the first city in California to allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in its municipal elections. Voters in San Francisco and Oakland passed measures allowing non-U.S. citizens to vote in school board elections, although Oakland has yet to implement it.
There are around 80,000 undocumented residents in Santa Ana per the most recent census report, 60,000 of whom are potential voters.
Political science experts previously told LAist that if Measure DD passes, it would offer a blueprint for other cities to follow.
Proponents of the measure said non-U.S. citizens in the city contribute to the local economy, raise children and live in the city and therefore should have a say in how things are run.
Activist James Lacy, who filed a lawsuit against the city for language used in the ballot measure, said in a statement Wednesday, "Our campaign has now set the trend against noncitizen voting and discovered the keys to future victories in similar ballot measures across California and beyond.”
The Santa Ana Families for Fair Elections, a coalition of residents and organizations supporting the measure, released a statement on Wednesday, saying they are "heartened" by the people who voted in support of the measure.
"[O]ur movement has grown larger and stronger than ever," they wrote.
