San Francisco allowed non-citizens to vote in school board elections.
Posted by On with Kara Swisher, Checked
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- 6 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 95%
On with Kara SwisherAug 10, 2026
San Francisco did allow noncitizen parents, guardians and caregivers to vote in school board elections under Proposition N (Measure N), approved by voters in 2016 and in effect from 2018. A 2022 Superior Court ruling struck it down, but a 2023 Court of Appeal decision upheld it, and SF.gov still lists a 2026 school board election under the program.
What was said
… Um, I don't think, I don't think so. I mean, um, is there just anybody else but Trump? There's definitely controversy over extending it to local elections. I can't remember where we stand on that. I think San Francisco did it for school boards. I think it's being debated in L a. I don't know. I think I don't agree with that. No, I think the real problem is the voter rolls being so out of date. Yeah, we'll be back in a minute. I'm Kara Swisher, and I like people who say the quiet part out loud. …
On with Kara Swisher · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Voters approved Local Measure N in 2016 (54%), allowing noncitizen parents, guardians or caregivers of children to vote in San Francisco school board elections, and the law took effect for the 2018 election.[1][2]
Supports. PolitiFact and the Court of Appeal both confirm the law existed and was legally permissible; PolitiFact notes it was struck down by a Superior Court judge in 2022 before the appeals court upheld it in 2023.[3][6]
Supports. The San Francisco Department of Elections (sf.gov, 2025) states that the city's law allows certain noncitizens to vote in local Board of Education elections, with the next election scheduled for November 3, 2026.[4][5]
Context. The program is limited: noncitizens may vote only in school board races, and only if they are parents, guardians or caregivers of children living in the city.[1][4]
Sources
6 sources: 3 fact-checkers, 2 primary, 1 tier 2
- 1Noncitizens Get Narrow Access to Polls in San Francisco - FactCheck.orgfactcheck.org · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2Correction: San Francisco-Immigrant Voting story - AP Newsapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 3California voting claims based on misinformationpolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 4Non-citizen voting in local Board of Education electionssf.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
- 5Eligible Non-Citizens May Vote in the November 5, 2024 School ...sfusd.edu · primary source · cited for: supports
- 6Court upholds San Francisco allowing noncitizens to vote in ...cbsnews.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
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