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Appeals court describes Huntington Beach’s voter ID law as “problematic”

February 21, 2025

A California appeals court says Huntington Beach’s bid to create a citywide voter ID law is “problematic.”

Last year, voters in Huntington Beach approved Measure A, which called for a change in the city charter to require voter identification in city elections as soon as 2026. But California, like other states, sets voting rules, and it does not require voter ID. In April, a month after the vote, the California Attorney General filed a lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court, seeking to block the city from moving forward on voter I.D.

The new order about the city’s voting rule, issued Tuesday, Feb. 18, by a three-judge Fourth District Court of Appeal panel, is the latest step in that broader legal challenge. It isn’t binding but it is the first indication that the city law might be struck down.

In addition to questioning Huntington Beach’s right to create voting rules, the appeals court also wants the Superior Court to reconsider an earlier ruling to effectively dismiss the case.

Specifically, the panel indicated that they disagreed with Superior Court Judge Nico Dourbetas’ ruling that the case was not “ripe for adjudication,” writing instead that the issue was a “present controversy.” The appeals court ordered the superior court to say if it will modify its dismissal and if not, the appeals court said it is prepared to take its own action in the case.

The appeals court also disagrees with Huntington Beach’s argument that it has “a constitutional right to regulate its own municipal elections free from state interference,” describing it as “problematic.”

In the state’s suit against Huntington Beach, California Attorney General Rob Bonta described the voter ID law as illegal, and said it would confuse voters and delay planning for the 2026 elections.

On Thursday, Bonta said he is encouraged by the language used by the appeals court.

“Our priority remains the same: making sure that Huntington Beach’s Measure A is struck down as quickly as possible,” Bonta said in a prepared statement.

Huntington Beach City Attorney Mike Vigliotta, who was appointed to the job on Tuesday, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The appeals court gave the lower court ten days to respond. A hearing has been set for the case in superior court for Tuesday, Feb. 25.

Orange County Register

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Appeals court describes Huntington Beach’s voter ID law as “problematic”

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