By admin 
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The Los Angeles City Council took one step closer toward possibly giving noncitizens the right to vote in city elections, agreeing to put the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot.
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The measure is part of a package of proposed charter changes that will go before voters later this year.
In a decisive 10-5 vote, the council on Wednesday approved a proposal introduced by Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez to implement noncitizen or “residential” voting for city and Los Angeles Unified District elections.
Soto-Martinez emphasized individuals with some form of legal status such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Temporary Protected Status holders, legal permanent residents would be allowed to vote under such a program.
“This issue to me is really about fairness and representation,” Soto-Martinez said. “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 our public schools.”
He noted that places like San Francisco allow noncitizen voting.
Council members Monica Rodriguez, Bob Blumenfield, John Lee, Tim McOsker, and Adrin Nazarain voted against the matter.
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Rodriguez — who supported the notion but did not vote in favor of the matter — raised questions about the cost and the logistics because the city leans on Los Angeles County to administer elections.
Lee argued against the proposal, arguing that it could empower politically-motivated violations or abuse, or at least perceptions of such behavior.
“Election laws are different from ordinary policy decisions. They establish rules under which elected officials are chosen and held accountable, and because of that, changes to voting eligibility should be approached with the utmost public trust and legitimacy,” Lee said.
Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso emphasized the proposal was written in a “permissible” manner, which if approved by voters would give the city time to create a noncitizen voting program, and answer vital questions from elected officials.
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Without approval, the city would not be allowed to pursue it.
City News Service contributed to this report.