He added: "When more parents have a voice in the direction of our schools, it leads to better outcomes for all students and communities.”
The court determined that the noncitizen voting program in the city is legally sound under the California Constitution and San Francisco's charter city authority.
In 2016, city voters approved Proposition N, which has since allowed noncitizen parents and guardians of school children to vote in five local school board elections.
Chiu's office said the program was challenged after a February 2022 recall election brought in the "highest participation yet" of non-citizen voters. A San Francisco Superior Court judge later ruled that the program was unconstitutional.
Upon reversing the decision, the appeals court determined that the California Constitution cannot prevent cities from allowing non-citizen residents to vote in elections, and that it is entirely up to charter cities to determine how their school board members are elected.
San Francisco joins 13 other cities across the U.S. that permit non-citizens to vote in city elections.
Chiu praised the court’s decision as a “wonderful day” for immigrant parents.