California Attorney General Robert Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber jointly filed a lawsuit against Huntington Beach on April 15th for passing the Voter ID Correction Act during the primary election in March.
According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ certification on March 22nd, Huntington Beach voters approved Measure 1 with 53.40% of the votes, which mandates that voters provide identification in all municipal elections (excluding state and county elections) starting in 2026; the city will provide more polling locations and monitor ballot drop-off boxes.
Bonta stated during a press conference, “The right to vote freely is the foundation of our democracy, and Huntington Beach’s voter identification policy goes against this principle,” adding that the state election laws already include strict voter identification requirements and robust protection measures to prevent voter fraud while ensuring that every eligible voter can easily cast their ballot.
However, there has been a lack of confidence among voters in California’s election system, with concerns such as blank ballots being sent to non-citizens or those who have moved out of state under mail-in voting policies, as well as instances of lax voter registration and voting chaos. Residents in Orange County have repeatedly called for reforms and the requirement to present voter identification during elections.
Bonta further argued that requiring voter identification could create “unnecessary obstacles and burdens for low-income voters, voters of color, young or elderly voters, and people with disabilities.” Therefore, they are seeking court intervention to block Huntington Beach from implementing what they consider as illegal measures suppressing or depriving voters of their electoral rights. Weber emphasized Bonta’s stance, stating that the city’s regulations conflict with state laws, as voter identification is not required by state law during voting.
Former Huntington Beach Mayor and current City Council member Tony Strickland, who is one of the authors of the measure, spoke at a community event, emphasizing the importance of voter identification in maintaining public confidence in the electoral system. Strickland pointed out that without trust in election results, democracy cannot function effectively, and voter identification helps ensure confidence in the system, likening it to identification requirements in other aspects of life.
A survey conducted in 2021, as reported by the conservative website “The Federalist,” showed that 80% of Americans support presenting identification before voting. While most Democrats see mail-in voting as more convenient, Republicans and independents argue that it complicates the counting process and prolongs the time needed for results.
Even before Huntington Beach introduced the municipal ordinance amendment, Bonta and Weber had warned that the city was violating California’s election laws, sending a letter on September 28 of the previous year urging the city to abandon the ballot measure.
Huntington Beach is one of California’s 125 “charter cities” with the authority to have independent charters and municipal laws. However, Bonta and Weber argued in the lawsuit that municipal regulations cannot conflict with state laws governing “statewide affairs,” and that the city’s new law “threatens to illegally deprive voters of their voting rights.”
The lawsuit also states that under state law, individuals must provide identification information when registering to vote, or they will face penalties for false registration; thus, voters only need to provide their name and address at polling stations, without the need for further identification unless there is a valid challenge to their eligibility that must be addressed within specified guidelines to reduce any confusion or inadvertent deprivation of voting rights.
City Attorney Michael Gates stated that the municipal ordinance amendment passed in March not only received voter approval but also had the support of the California Constitution. He emphasized that the residents of Huntington Beach have spoken clearly on this issue, with the decision on the fairness of the referendum on March 5 being final, and that the city government will vigorously defend the will of the people. Orange County attorney Gino J. Bruno also cited state statutes on social media, asserting that charter cities have the authority to regulate city elections.
Strickland questioned how requiring voter identification would “illegally deprive voters of their voting rights,” highlighting the issue of election integrity that Sacramento is hesitant to address, while asserting that the viable solution proposed by Huntington Beach could set a precedent across California. ◇