Correspondence - #28 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

September 15, 2023 Chinese for Affirmative Action 17 Walter U Lum Place San Francisco, CA 94108 CAA Mayor Valerie Amezcua V H I R E S E F 0 R A F F I R M A T I V E Santa Ana City Council A C T 1 0 R 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Cc: City Attorney Sonia R. Carvalho Re:Agenda Item #28 - Support for Noncitizen Voting in Santa Ana Dear Mayor Amezcua and Santa Ana City Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), a 54 year old civil rights organization located in San Francisco, which has led efforts to pass and implement non-citizen/immigrant voting in San Francisco school board elections since 2004, respectfully urges the City Council of Santa Ana to include immigrant voting on the ballot for November 2024. Immigrant voting cannot wait, especially in a place as diverse and immigrant-dense as Santa Ana. The enfranchisement of any new group of voters has always been difficult,whether for women and people of color, or more recently, youth (in certain municipalities), and in the state of California, parolees with felony convictions. Despite the hesitancy of those who support the status quo,true democracy demands that democratic processes be accessible to those who are governed. Immigrant voting has been successfully implemented in San Francisco over the course of the last five school board elections. As cities that value our immigrant residents, Santa Ana and San Francisco are blazing a trail forward in California that is a pro-immigrant model for those across the state, nation, and world that are considering similar initiatives. In the face of immense attacks on immigrant rights, particularly over the last several years, we cannot be afraid to take a proactive stance,just as our immigrant brothers and sisters have been fearless in their efforts to live full lives as active participants in our shared communities. Expanding the electorate in Santa Ana is legally permissible 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 expand the electorate in school board elections for two reasons. First, neither the language of the California Constitution nor its history prohibits local legislation which extends suffrage to noncitizens. Second,the California Constitution's home rule provisions allow charter cities, like San Francisco,to implement the expansion of the electorate, including in local school board elections. Notably,the Court cites Article XI, section 5 of the California Constitution which denotes considerable authority to charter cities: "It shall be competent in all city charters to provide, in addition to those provisions 17 WALTER U. LUM PLACE I SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108 T 415.274.67501 F 415.397.00701 INFO@CAASF.ORG I CAASF.ORG