Voters in the Southern California city are rejecting the measure that would allow non-residents to vote in local races

SANTA ANA, Calif. — Voters in a Southern California city rejected a measure that would have allowed residents who are not U.S. citizens to vote in local elections.

Measure DD was rejected by 60% of voters in Santa Ana, a city of about 310,000 in Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Santa Ana, a predominantly Latino community, had more votes for Vice President Kamala Harris than President-elect Donald Trump. Experts say the measure’s rejection could signal that voters, especially Latino voters, are changing their attitudes toward immigration.

“This is more or less consistent with the trends we’ve seen in both polls and elections, with the Latino community becoming more conservative on immigration issues,” said Jon Gould, dean of the School of Social Ecology at the University of California , Irvine. .

The measure faced strong opposition from local officials and conservative groups such as the Policy Issues Institute, who argued it would be expensive, litigious and violate citizens’ rights.

Carlos Perea, an immigrant rights advocate who supported the measure, said these groups were “pushing the panic button.”

The results reflect Trump’s influence in a year when the former president has campaigned heavily against illegal immigration said Perea, executive director of the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice.

It is illegal for people who are not U.S. citizens to vote for president or other federal office, and there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud by citizens or noncitizens, although many leading Republicans specter of immigrants voting illegally to a big problem. That’s what they claim legislation is necessary to the sanctity of the vote.

But a growing number of communities in the United States are passing laws that allow residents who are not U.S. citizens to vote in local elections, such as city council and mayoral races. Supporters say it’s only fair because they live in the communities and pay taxes.

San Francisco passed Proposition N in 2016 to allow noncitizens with children under 18 to vote in school board elections. Prop N was passed after two similar measures were defeated in 2004 and 2010.

Other states with municipalities that allow residents without citizenship to vote include Maryland, VermontAnd recently, Washington, DCNew York City promised local voting rights for non-citizens in 2022, but a state judge knocked down months later the law was introduced and prevented from coming into effect. The city has now appealed the decision.