HUNTINGTON BEACH, California — California officials sued Huntington Beach on Monday over a new law that will allow the city to require voters to identify themselves to cast ballots at the polls beginning in 2026.
Attorney General Rob Bonta said the measure approved by voters in the Southern California city of nearly 200,000 residents violates state law and could make it more difficult for poor, nonwhite, young, elderly and disabled voters to vote to cast their vote.
State officials previously warned that the measure to amend the city’s charter would suppress voter participation and are asking a court to block it from taking effect, he said.
“The right to vote freely is the foundation of our democracy and Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy violates this principle,” Bonta said in a statement while announcing the lawsuit.
Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates said the city has the authority to take election-related actions under the state constitution and that he will defend the decision of local voters.
“The people of Huntington Beach have made their voices heard on this issue,” Gates said in an email.
The measure was passed by voters this year in Huntington Beach, an Orange County city dubbed “Surf City USA” and known for its scenic coastline dotted with surfers catching waves.
The City Council placed the voter ID measure on the ballot in March after making a series of hotly contested decisions on issues ranging from flying flags to removing books from the public library’s children’s section over concerns about the suitability of materials. The moves were initiated by a politically conservative majority on the council, which took office in 2022, and have drawn dozens of residents from all sides of the issue to city meetings.
The measure — which would allow the city to require voter identification, expand in-person voting locations and monitor ballot drop boxes in local elections — won by 53% in the March election, county election data show.
Bonta, a Democrat, said it was not immediately clear how the measure would be implemented. In California, voters can cast their ballot in person, but also by returning their ballot through the mailbox or by mail.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters, which operates in the county’s 34 cities, including Huntington Beach, declined to comment on the lawsuit. Registrar Bob Page said Huntington Beach has not contacted his office about how it plans to proceed since the measure was passed. He said the city could hold its own local elections or consolidate its elections with a statewide general election and receive services from the county clerk.
Huntington Beach has a history of sparring with government officials over what actions the county can take under the city charter on issues ranging from immigration to housing.
While Democrats outnumber Republicans in Orange County, the Republican Party is dominant in Huntington Beach with nearly 54,000 registered voters compared to 41,000 Democrats, county data show.