Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber Continue Challenge to Huntington Beach Voter ID Law

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. today announced filing a notice of appeal in their lawsuit challenging Measure A, Huntington Beach’s voter identification (voter ID) law. Without citing any evidence that fraudulent voting occurs with any regularity in the city or has ever compromised the outcome of a municipal election, Measure A amended Huntington Beach’s charter to purportedly allow the city to impose voter ID requirements at the polls for all municipal elections starting in 2026. In their lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber argue that state law prohibits and overrides Measure A, and in their appeal, ask the California Fourth District Court of Appeal to reverse a lower court decision issued on April 7, 2025, denying the state’s petition for a writ of mandate. 

“California’s elections are fair, safe, and secure,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “We respectfully ask the California Fourth District Court of Appeal to reverse the lower court’s decision and overturn Huntington Beach’s unlawful voter ID policy. State law supersedes local law when it comes to constitutional matters like the right to vote – and we will continue to fight to safeguard this fundamental right in court.” 

“Municipalities should not be allowed to defy state laws in the name of solving nonexistent problems. I stand with Attorney General Bonta in fighting to reverse the lower court's decision as we seek to overturn an unlawful voter ID policy,” said Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D.

In their lawsuit filed in April 2024, Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber argued that Measure A is preempted by state law and invalid. Under the California Constitution, charter cities have the right to govern “municipal affairs,” but local law cannot conflict with state law governing a “statewide concern.” Both the integrity of California’s elections and the protection of the constitutional right to vote are matters of statewide concern. The lawsuit argues that California already maintains a uniform and robust legal scheme for safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process and protecting the rights of eligible voters. Unlawfully departing from this legal framework, Huntington Beach’s voter ID law purportedly allows the city to require additional identification from voters before they can exercise their right to vote. By authorizing this requirement, Huntington Beach’s voter ID law conflicts with state law and threatens to unlawfully disenfranchise voters at the polls.

A copy of the notice of appeal can be found here.