The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to advance a measure that would allow non-citizens to vote in citywide and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) school board elections.
The proposal passed by a 10-5 vote and is now expected to appear on the November ballot, where city residents will have the final say. If approved, the measure would extend voting rights in those elections to non-citizen residents, including DACA recipients, individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and lawful permanent residents.
Darn. Spoke too soon.
— Elizabeth Barcohana (@E_Barcohana) June 17, 2026
LA City Council heard comments today on expanding the right to vote to illegals (because someone who just moved here shouldn’t have more rights than someone who has lived here illegally for 30 years).
Thank you Councilman John Lee for pushing back… https://t.co/TwMdrgRGta
It happened.
— Elizabeth Barcohana (@E_Barcohana) June 18, 2026
LA City Council voted 10-5 to include giving illegals the right to vote in the City Charter reform referendum that will be on the November ballot
Same ballot that will have the statewide Voter ID proposition@BasedMikeLee help us SOS 🆘 https://t.co/bQM2FIiK3O
BREAKING: The LA City Council voted 10-5 to advance a proposal that would ALLOW non-citizens to vote in city and school board elections pic.twitter.com/akWe9YQeP2
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 18, 2026
“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,” council member Hugo Soto-Martínez, who introduced the bill, said.
🚨 LA City Council Advances Proposal on Noncitizen Voting for November Ballot
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) June 18, 2026
Los Angeles City Council has moved forward on a measure from Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez (AI video) that would allow the city to consider noncitizen voting in certain local elections — including… pic.twitter.com/SS7ho6Jskn
This comes as California's election system faces renewed scrutiny following the Los Angeles mayoral primary. Republican Spencer Pratt appeared poised to advance on election night after leading Democrat and Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman in the initial vote count. However, as additional mail-in ballots were processed, a voting method that has historically favored Democrats, Pratt's lead evaporated, and he ultimately fell behind by roughly 30,000 votes.
The dramatic shift fueled frustration among Republicans who had initially viewed the results as a sign of growing support in deep-blue Los Angeles. Combined with viral videos showing homeless individuals claiming they were paid to vote for Democrats, as well as broader concerns about election administration and ballot counting in California, the race has intensified debate over the state's election system and its integrity.
The Trump administration is currently investigating California's election system, and U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli revealed this week that he believes the probe could ultimately result in criminal charges. While officials have not disclosed specific targets or allegations, the investigation has added to growing scrutiny surrounding election administration and ballot-counting practices in the state.