California will appeal rejection of lawsuit over Huntington Beach voter ID law
SANTA ANA, California — California appeals to a judge decision to dismiss a state lawsuit over a measure that would allow the city of Huntington Beach to require voter identification at the polls, officials said Thursday.
State officials said they plan to continue fighting at the appeals court over the measure — which was passed by voters in the coastal city of 200,000 in March. An Orange County Superior Court judge ruled last month that it was too early for the state to file a lawsuit over the local law, which allows the city to implement voter identification requirements in 2026.
“As preparations for the 2026 elections begin late next year, we want and need a state appeals court to act quickly,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
Michael Gates, the city attorney for Huntington Beach, said he supports the court’s ruling and noted that the voting public supported the local measure.
“Voter ID in Huntington Beach is the law of our land here, it is our constitutional right, and it is here to stay – I will make sure of that,” Gates wrote in an email.
The Huntington Beach measure also allows the city to expand more in-person voting locations and monitor ballot drop boxes in local elections.
The state indictedsaying the measure violates state law and could disenfranchise poor, nonwhite, elderly and disabled voters, and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom later signed a state measure into law banning local governments from enacting laws that require residents to identify themselves to vote.
Huntington Beach, nicknamed “Surf City USA” and known for its scenic coastline dotted with surfers, has a history of sparring with state officials over the actions it can take under its city charter on issues ranging from immigration Unpleasant housing. The city is led by a politically conservative City Council, and the Republican Party is dominant in Huntington Beach with nearly 57,000 registered voters versus 42,000 Democrats, county data show.