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Advancing social justice and building power with working-class Vietnamese and immigrant communities in Orange County since 2018. ® 14351 Euclid St. #1 M, Garden Grove,CA 92843 (714)-589-5496 1 www.vietrise.ora I aeneralOvietrise.org I @vietriseoc September 19,2023 Santa Ana City Council 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana,CA 92701 Re:Agenda Item#28- Support for Expanding Voting Rights to Noncitizen Residents in Santa Ana Dear Mayor Valerie Amezcua and Santa Ana City Council Members, On behalf of VietRISE,we write in strong support of Agenda Item #28. The City of Santa Ana should explore expanding the local electorate to noncitizen residents, who comprise nearly a quarter of the city's population.' Specifically,among the city's 314,000 residents,a staggering 74,125 (23.62%) are noncitizens who are currently deprived of their voice in local political processes by existing voting laws. 5,646 (17.86%) of the city's 31,611 Asian adult residents and 64,022(37.02%)of the 172,962 Latino adult residents in Santa Ana are noncitizens. Such an expansion would foster inclusion, encourage political participation, and improve community resources through increased stakeholder engagement— all of which bolster our democracy. It remains deeply undemocratic that many local residents are excluded from participating in the election of the very officials who shape the local policies that all residents, regardless of immigration status, must abide by. Noncitizen residents are a key part of the Santa Ana community and make up a sizable portion of the local taxpayer base.Yet, noncitizen residents are unable to participate in the election of those who are supposed to represent them in local government. It is imperative that the City Council improve representation of taxpayer interests in local government and end the political exclusion of nearly a quarter of the city by exploring the expansion of the electorate in municipal elections to noncitizen residents. Earlier this year,the Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District, Division Five ruled in Lacy v. City and County of San Francisco et al. that San Francisco can allow for noncitizen voting in its school board elections.The Court's decision is favorable to an expansion of local voting in Santa Ana.The Court was"not persuaded [by the plaintiff]that the Constitution grants charter cities less authority in determining the nature of the electorate with respect to school board members than as to municipal officers"2 This suggests charter cities' existing authority already allows them to determine the nature of the electorate with respect to municipal officers, and such authority was never disputed. VietRISE is a founding member of the Santa Ana Families for Fair Elections coalition, which is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational coalition of community organizations and residents that aims to enfranchise noncitizen residents who are excluded from voting in local elections. From women's suffrage to people of color winning the right to vote,our campaign is about universal suffrage. We urge the City Council to explore this viable avenue for strengthening local democracy in Santa Ana and, with that same spirit of democracy,allow the city's voters to ultimately decide. Sincerely, Tracy La ' U.S.Census Bureau,American Community Survey 2021 5-Year Estimate,2022. 2 James V.Lacy v. City and County of San Francisco, 165899,Cal.Apo.2023.