Friends of Coleman,
Monday morning at 10am, Coleman and our partners in the Immigrant Parent Voting Collaborative, along with members of the SF Board of Supervisors and Board of Education, will hold a press conference at the Department of Elections to announce the launch of registration for non-citizen voting in San Francisco School Board elections. San Francisco will become the first city in the state of California to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. The launch of this new immigrant voting right in the midst of the Trump Administration’s efforts to strip immigrant and asylum-seeking families of their due process rights, sends a strong message reaffirming San Francisco’s status as a sanctuary city.
WHAT: Press Conference announcing launch of non-citizen voting in San Francisco
WHEN: Monday, July 16th 10am
WHERE: Front Steps of City Hall; 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102
WHO: Community Leaders representing the Immigrant Parent Voting Collaborative; Supervisors Norman Yee, Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer, Supervisor Hillary Ronen; Vice President of SFUSD Board of Education Stevon Cook; OCEIA Executive Director Adrienne Pon.
Prop N, a community-driven ballot initiative passed by San Franciscan voters in 2016, allows noncitizens who are parents, guardians, and caregivers of SFUSD-eligible children to vote in local school board elections. Non-citizen parents make up a third of the SFUSD enrollee demographic. This new voting right creates a direct avenue for non-citizens to participate in their children’s education and signals the inclusion and integration of immigrants into the social and political fabric of San Francisco.
In May of this year, the SF Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted an ordinance, authored by Supervisor Norman Yee and co-sponsored by Supervisors Sandra Lee Fewer and Hillary Ronen, to strengthen the implementation of non-citizen voting for the upcoming school board elections in November. Reflecting the increasing risks that immigrants face in the U.S., the ordinance provides comprehensive implementation guidance for the Department of Elections. In collaboration with community organizations, the Department of Elections is carrying out culturally and linguistically accessible outreach and education to inform the community about this new voting right, the associated risks, and available protections.
With the launch of registration for non-citizen voting, Supervisor Yee, Supervisor Fewer, and Supervisor Ronen, along with SFUSD Board of Education Vice President Stevon Cook and OCEIA Executive Director Adrienne Pon will join representatives from the Immigrant Parent Voting Collaborative to uplift the historic implementation efforts focused on addressing safety and protection concerns.
“Community members are powerful not panicked,” says Hong Mei Pang, Director of Advocacy at CAA. Pang continues, “The Immigrant Parent Voting Collaborative is working hard to safeguard and ensure that immigrant families are able to make an informed decision in November. With the support of the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA), the Collaborative will continue to partner with the Department of Elections, San Francisco Unified School District, and the Immigrant Rights Commission (IRC) to address concerns around language access, cultural competency, and immigrant rights.”
“After two previous attempts in San Francisco, it is a huge win that voters approved this measure in 2016,” said Supervisor Fewer. “While we celebrate the right of noncitizen parents to vote and have a voice in their child’s education, as a city we are also ensuring that these prospective voters are fully informed; to this end, we have identified new funding through the budget process for voter outreach and education in multiple languages.”
The Immigrant Parent Voting Collaborative consists of the following immigrant rights and education equity organizations:
African Advocacy Network (AAN)
Causa Justa:: Just Cause (CJJC)
Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)
Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA)
Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth
La Raza Community Resource Center
Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA)
Mission Graduates
For more information call or emal Eugene Lau, Chinese for Affirmative Action Communications Manager, 415-274-6750 x319 elau@caasf.org