California officials have filed a lawsuit against the city of Huntington Beach regarding a voter ID amendment that was recently passed with majority support from residents. The lawsuit, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, challenges Huntington Beach's voter ID law, known as Measure A, which amends the city's charter to allow voter ID requirements by 2026.
Bonta and Weber argue that the city's voter ID law conflicts with and is preempted by state law. Bonta emphasized that the right to freely cast a vote is fundamental to democracy and that Huntington Beach's voter ID policy contradicts this principle. He pointed out that state elections already have robust voter ID requirements in place to prevent fraud and that the new requirements could disproportionately impact certain groups of voters.
The City Council introduced the voter ID measure to the March ballot after a series of contentious decisions on various issues. The measure, which includes provisions for voter identification, increased in-person voting sites, and monitoring of ballot drop boxes in local elections, was approved by 53% of voters in March.
City Attorney Michael Gates maintains that the voter ID amendment is permissible and supported by the state constitution. He stated that the people of Huntington Beach have spoken on the issue of election integrity and that the city will defend the voters' decision.
While the implementation of the voter ID measure remains unclear, the city's stance on upholding the will of the people is firm. Huntington Beach, known as 'Surf City USA,' has a history of disagreements with state officials over matters within its city charter, such as immigration and housing policies.
Despite Democrats outnumbering Republicans in Orange County, Huntington Beach has a significant Republican voter base, with nearly 54,000 registered Republicans compared to 41,000 Democrats, according to county data.
