Santa Ana voters rejected a controversial ballot measure last week which would have extended local voting rights to non-citizens.
Around 60% of voters rejected Measure DD in Santa Ana, where Latinos make up a majority of the population. It’s yet another reminder that views of immigration among Latino voters have shifted, and are very different from what some in the political class have long assumed.
Although Santa Ana residents favored Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, President Donald Trump — who ran on a platform of mass deportation — garnered record support from Latino voters for a Republican candidate, especially among Latino men.
In addition to concerns about immigration and voting rights, Measure DD was facing logistical questions. If the measure had passed, Santa Ana would have had to start conducting its own elections — a costly and challenging endeavor. Currently, elections are run by Orange County.
Measure DD was supported by the ACLU of Southern California, labor organizations, immigrant rights groups, and city leaders such as Councilmember Jonathan Hernandez. But it faced opposition from other city leaders, including Mayor Valerie Amezcua, who warned of high costs and the potential for lawsuits against the city.