By: Joseph Montgomery
One year ago, San Francisco voters approved a ballot measure that allows noncitizen parents of K-12 schoolchildren to vote in local school board elections. This measure, known as Proposition N, received 53% of the vote in the November 2016 election. Specifically, it allows San Franciscan parents, legal guardians, or legally-recognized caregivers to vote for school board members, regardless of their immigration status. The person must be of legal voting age and not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction. Proposition N will become effective for the November elections in 2018, 2020, and 2022, and can only be extended after that through an ordinance by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.