Karen Bass refuses to give ‘yes or no’ answer on whether noncitizens should vote in LA: ‘It depends’
Los Angeles Mayoral candidates clashed Wednesday night when a simple yes-or-no question about whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote in local elections revealed a sharp divide.
During a debate hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo, moderator Enrique Chiabra pressed the candidates to answer yes or no. Democrat Mayor Karen Bass he refused to do so, while his Republican opponent, Spencer Pratt, responded with a clear “No.”
Instead, Bass said, “It depends,” adding, “It’s not a yes or no.”
The exchange comes as a Los Angeles city councilman reopens debate on the issue and tries to put the question before voters on the November ballot.
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While federal law prohibits entry of non-citizens voting In federal elections, some U.S. cities, including several in California, allow limited non-citizen voting in local races.
In explaining his answer, Bass said the term “non-citizens” can also include legal residents.
“First of all, when we say noncitizens, that doesn’t mean they’re here illegally. That doesn’t mean they’re undocumented.” green cards. They can be perfectly legal here,” Bass said. “And there are many states and cities that do this in very, very local elections. “We need to see what the councilman proposes.”
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said “it depends” when asked whether non-citizens would be allowed to vote in local elections.
Councilor Nithya RamanTrump, himself a Democratic candidate, similarly avoided a direct response.
“Again, it depends,” Raman said, noting that in some places non-citizen residents can vote in certain local elections, such as school board races.
Pratt, the first to respond, reiterated his position with a one-word response: “No.”
Between Bass and Pratt 13 candidates are running for mayorPratt is seen as a leading challenger to the incumbent.
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TV star and Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt visits “Fox & Friends” at Fox News Channel Studios on January 28, 2026 in New York City.
Primary elections will be held on June 2, and general elections will be held on November 3.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Bass’ office, as well as the Pratt and Raman campaigns, for comment.
Original article source: Karen Bass refuses to give a ‘yes or no’ answer on whether non-citizens should vote in Los Angeles: ‘It depends’
