HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – A California appeals court has ruled that a measure passed by Huntington Beach residents requiring voter identification at local polls violates existing state law.Â
What we know:
The Fourth District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana ruled on Monday that the voter identification measure passed by Huntington Beach residents must be struck down. The court determined that the measure conflicts with California’s state election law.
Huntington Beach residents voted last year to allow local officials to require voter identification at the polls starting in 2026. The measure also included provisions for the city to increase in-person voting sites and to monitor ballot drop boxes during local elections.
The ruling comes after Huntington Beach resident Mark Bixby challenged the measure in court, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta also filed a lawsuit, arguing the local law would disenfranchise voters.
What they’re saying:
California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a statement following the court’s ruling:
A spokesperson for the city of Huntington Beach, Corbin Carson, stated that the city is reviewing the appeals court’s ruling.
The backstory:
The measure’s legal troubles began when Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit contending that the local law conflicts with state law and could make it more difficult for poor, non-white, young, elderly, and disabled voters to cast ballots.
Following the local measure’s passage, California Governor Gavin Newsom, signed in to state law a measure that bars local governments from establishing and enforcing laws that require residents to provide identification to vote in elections.
Huntington Beach, known as “Surf City USA,” has a history of political disagreements with state officials over measures related to issues like immigration and housing. County data shows the Republican Party is dominant in the city, with nearly 57,000 registered GOP voters versus 41,000 democrats.
The Source: Information for this story is from The Associated Press.