The Santa Ana City Council recently passed a charter measure to allow undocumented residents to vote in city elections. The measure will be placed on the 2024 ballot, giving voters the final say.

Santa Ana Councilmember Johnathan Hernandez sat down with “Inside the Issues” host Amrit Singh to discuss the ballot measure.

“Santa Ana is a city that’s long stood in favor of progress,” Hernandez said. “...I believe in expanding democracy for all.”

Hernandez said Santa Ana has more than 80,000 undocumented residents, 60,000 of which are voting age. He said making sure their voices are heard is more important than criticism that has come with the potential costs associated with the potential change.

“There is no price tag on expanding democracy and creating change and progress for our neighbors,” Hernandez noted.

This ballot measure, if it were to pass in November, would put Santa Ana in an uncharted territory for a California city. This has led to concerns of potential lawsuits that could get expensive for the city.

Although Hernandez points to the 2016 court case Lacy vs. San Francisco as precedence for this ballot measure.

Lacy vs. San Francisco gave nonresidents in San Francisco County the right to vote in school board elections. Several other municipalities across the country allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. 

“This isn’t a city council giving voting powers to our neighbors who have been disenfranchised. This is the will of the voters,” Hernandez said.