Orange County judge sides with Huntington Beach on voter ID

An Orange County Superior Court judge sided with Huntington Beach on Tuesday in its legal tussle with the state over a city ordinance requiring voters to show identification when casting a ballot.

City officials argued that as a charter city it has special authority to approve an ordinance in conflict with state law. State officials argued that state law takes precedence.

"There is no showing that a voter identification requirement compromises the integrity of a municipal election," Judge Nick Dourbetas wrote in his ruling Monday. "Municipal election results do not lack integrity because only residents of a municipality who are eligible to vote participated in the election."

Mayor Pat Burns hailed the ruling.

"This is a huge victory not only for our city but charter cities throughout the state," Burns 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."

"Yet again, we believe the Orange County Superior Court got it wrong," Attorney General Rob Bonta said. "Earlier this year, the California Fourth District Court of Appeal wrote that Huntington Beach's argument that `it had a constitutional right to regulate its own municipal elections free from state interference... is... problematic.' We agree. Now that we have a final order from the Orange County Superior Court, we look forward to moving on and appealing the decision. We remain confident that Measure A will ultimately be struck down."

The measure was approved by more than 53% of the voters in March 2024.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber said, "Access to the ballot box is a key component of our democracy. The court's order is in direct conflict with California election laws and will result in disenfranchising California voters."

The ordinance is slated to go into effect next year.

Additional reporting by City News Service.