The Los Angeles City Council advanced a proposal to let voters decide in November on whether city leaders should allow noncitizens to vote in municipal and school board elections. This move drew criticism from notable figures such as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, GOP senators, and conservative commentators.
‘They have imported voters to win,’ Musk commented on social media platform X. Senator Mike Lee from Utah criticized the proposal, linking it to the city’s stance against federal immigration enforcement.
‘The LA City Council wants to give local voting rights to illegals to empower them against ICE and immigration enforcement,’ Lee stated.
The proposal, introduced by Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez and supported by Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, was passed with a 10-5 vote. It is part of a charter reform package slated for the November ballot. The initiative aims to grant the council the authority to eventually implement noncitizen voting.
During debates, Soto-Martínez argued that noncitizens long residing in Los Angeles might have less influence than recent arrivals for temporary jobs. ‘It just does not make sense to me that someone who moves to Los Angeles for a temporary job has more of a voice than a parent who has been here for decades raising their children through public schools,’ he said.
Senator Rick Scott from Florida criticized the vote, expressing concerns about California’s electoral system. He stated, ‘Nobody should be surprised. They’ve always wanted illegals to vote and they want fraud.’
Susan Crabtree of RealClearPolitics highlighted the need for greater Republican investment in California voter initiatives. She noted, ‘Now we see why. The LA City Council just took steps to make illegal immigrant voting legal.’
Elizabeth Barcohana, California GOP Jewish engagement chair, pointed out the significance of the vote coinciding with a statewide voter ID debate.
Opposing members, such as Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, questioned the feasibility of implementing noncitizen voting and expressed uncertainty about the county’s involvement. Rodriguez stated, ‘I don’t even know that the county has been consulted on their ability to implement such a concept.’
Federal law bars noncitizen voting in federal elections, but the proposed change would only affect city and Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education elections.
Fox News Digital contacted council members Hugo Soto-Martínez and Ysabel Jurado for further comments but received no immediate response.