California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber on Wednesday appealed an Orange County Superior Court ruling that upheld Huntington Beach’s voter-approved voter ID law.
In March 2024, 53% of Huntington Beach voters approved Measure A. The ballot initiative amended the city’s charter to allow city officials to verify voters’ identities before granting access to polling places.
According to Bonta and Weber’s appeal to the state’s 4th District Court of Appeals in Santa Ana, “With scant analysis, the lower court — the Orange County Superior Court — denied on April 7 the state’s petition for writ of mandate, which asserted that state law prohibits and overrides Measure A.”
The lower court held that the voter ID verification could be imposed because conflicting state law does not indicate “matters of statewide concern.”
In a statement following the appeal’s filing Wednesday, Bonta said, “Our elections are already secure, and applicants who register to vote in California are already required to verify their identity during the registration process and at the polls. We remain confident that Measure A will ultimately be struck down, especially because the appellate court previously expressed reservations about Huntington Beach’s argument that it can regulate its elections without any state interference.”
This is the latest salvo in an ongoing legal battle between the city and state.
Bonta and Weber first appealed to the 4th District Court on Feb. 13. A week later, a three-judge panel of the appellate court issued a unanimous order stating the lower court’s “conclusion that this matter is not ripe for decision is problematic” and the city’s argument that “it had a constitutional right to regulate its own municipal elections free from state interference … is also problematic.”
The appellate court also directed the lower court to rule on whether it would modify earlier orders granting the city’s motion to dismiss the case. On Feb. 27, the Orange County Superior Court vacated the earlier orders and concluded that “there is a ripe justiciable controversy” and set an April 3 hearing on the State’s request that the court invalidate the voter ID law.
The Huntington Beach City Council, which voted to place Measure A on the ballot, was also divided on the voter ID issue. Mayor Tony Strickland and Mayor Pro Tem Gracie Van Der Mark were in favor of the measure, while council members Rhonda Bolton, Dan Kalmick and Natalie Moser were against it, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
“The city’s unapologetic efforts to impose voter identification requirements in its local elections clearly violate state law,” Weber said in a statement. “It is an unfortunate continuation of a long line of voter suppression efforts that would disenfranchise its residents and has no place in California.”
In their latest court filing, Bonta and Weber urge the appellate court to intervene because the case centers around an issue of significant public importance statewide. They said “it has significant implications for the successful administration of upcoming elections, the protection of the right to vote and the constitutional separation of powers between charter cities and the state.”
Huntington Beach officials did not respond to a request for comment.
In April following the OC Superior Court decision that was favorable to Measure A, Burns said the ruling “is a huge victory not only for our city but charter cities throughout the state. … We have not only successfully defended our city’s voter ID law, but also the constitutional authority of charter cities rights from attacks by the attorney general and the state of California,” he said in a statement. “We will not back down in our efforts to secure local control over our local issues and will continue to fight for the city.”
City Attorney Mike Vigliotta said in a statement, “The U.S. Supreme Court has already determined that voter ID does not violate the right to vote. While we anticipate this fight isn’t over, we are pleased with the court’s fair and just evaluation of the weakness of the state and (Huntington Beach resident Mark) Bixby’s legal case.”
Wednesday’s court filing is available on the state attorney general’s website.
