Karen Bass Says She 'Needs' to Explore Letting Non-Citizens Vote

Dmitri Bolt | May 21, 2026 11:45 AM

In a recent interview with POLITICO, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that, as mayor, she “need[s]” to explore policies that would allow non-citizens to vote in city elections. She argued that such a policy is necessary because non-citizens “pay local taxes” and tried to broaden the appeal of the idea by arguing it would apply not just to illegal aliens, but also to people living in the United States who have not yet been fully naturalized.

Karen Bass is asked about the idea of non-citizens being able to vote in LA city elections.

Bass: “I think we need to explore it."

Of course. pic.twitter.com/V41WRfWR4v
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) May 20, 2026

"Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who has endorsed you, he wants to explore ways to let non-citizens vote in city elections," POLITICO's Melanie Mason said. "I know that there are some cities that already do this, but you know, politics is all about timing. With Donald Trump in the White House, is this the right time for Los Angeles to go down this path?"

"Well, I think we need to explore it," Mayor Bass said. "Now, I've not seen exactly what he's calling for. I have a little familiarity of what happens in other cities, and for example, some cities will allow people to vote in, like, city council and school board elections, because they pay local taxes, but they are not necessarily undocumented. They might be here completely legally, but have not finished the citizenship process. So we'll wait and see."

This comes as Bass is seeking to win re-eletion this November, but has been overshadowed by Republican Spencer Pratt, who has run one of the most effective campaigns in recent memory. He went from being a largely unknown candidate to dominating the race’s media coverage, and showcasing to the public that the vast majority of the city's problemsstem from the likes of Democrats.