Santa Ana Voters Reject Noncitizen Voting Measure

Santa Ana voters have rejected Measure DD, which would have allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections. The proposal was defeated by 60% of voters in the Southern California city, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Santa Ana, a predominantly Latino city in Orange County, has historically leaned Democratic, with Vice President Kamala Harris receiving more votes than President Donald Trump in the recent election. Despite this, the measure’s failure suggests shifting attitudes on immigration policies among Latino voters.

Jon Gould, dean of the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine, sees the vote as part of a larger trend. “Latino voters are becoming more conservative on issues of immigration, as polling and recent elections have shown,” Gould said.

Measure DD faced strong resistance from conservative groups like the Policy Issues Institute, which warned it would create legal disputes and undermine citizens’ voting rights. Advocates for immigrant rights, however, argue the measure would have been fair to residents who contribute to the community and pay taxes.

“This reflects Trump’s influence and the continued focus on immigration as a key issue,” said Carlos Perea, an immigrant rights advocate and executive director of the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice.

While some U.S. cities and states have granted noncitizens limited voting rights, such measures remain contentious. The rejection of Measure DD underscores the growing complexity of political alignment in Latino communities, particularly on immigration-related issues.

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