Brief

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez introduced a motion to explore enfranchising noncitizens in LAUSD board elections through a charter amendment scheduled for the November 2026 ballot. Co-sponsored by Ysabel Jurado, the motion directs city staff to study and prepare ballot language that would extend voting rights in school board races to eligible noncitizen residents. The file is currently pending in the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, which scheduled it for discussion on May 21, 2026.

Full summary

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez introduced this motion on April 29, 2026, framing it explicitly as a response to escalating federal immigration enforcement against Los Angeles's estimated 1.35 million immigrant residents. The motion argues that while the City cannot halt federal immigration actions, it can use Charter reform to give noncitizen Angelenos a direct voice in the local elections that most affect their lives. Co-sponsored by Ysabel Jurado, the proposal targets both City offices and LAUSD Board of Education elections. The core directive asks the City Attorney to prepare the legal documents necessary to place a measure on the November 2026 ballot that would amend the City Charter. Crucially, the amendment would not itself authorize noncitizen voting — it would grant the City Council the authority to later enact an ordinance doing so, creating a two-step framework. This approach ties directly to the ongoing Charter Reform process already underway under Council File 26-0489, which the motion identifies as a timely vehicle for enshrining this authority. The motion's preamble grounds the proposal in a democratic equity argument: noncitizen Angelenos contribute economically and culturally but remain unrepresented in the local decisions that govern their daily lives, including the public schools their children attend. The motion draws on the historical precedent of expanding voting eligibility to previously marginalized groups as a driver of broader democratic participation and systemic reform. Since introduction, the file has been referred to the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, which scheduled it for a hearing on May 21, 2026. The measure remains pending committee action. If the committee advances it and the full Council approves, the City Attorney would then draft the ballot language needed to put the Charter amendment before Los Angeles voters in November 2026.

Activity (2)

• 2026-05-20 Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on May 21, 2026.
• 2026-04-29 Motion referred to Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee.

Documents (2)

• 2026-05-05 Communication(s) from Public · communication
• 2026-04-29 Motion · motion