The California Supreme Court declined to review a lower court ruling that blocked Huntington Beach’s controversial voter ID policy, dealing what could be a final blow to the city’s 2024 measure approved by voters.
In a decision issued Wednesday, Jan. 28, the state high court left intact an appeals court order that said residents cannot be forced to present identification to vote at local polls.
State leaders applauded the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the city’s arguments.
“Today’s victory makes one thing crystal clear: No city in our state, charter and non-charter alike, is above the law,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “Huntington Beach’s leaders have been parroting the Trump Administration’s talking points by questioning the integrity of our elections. In court, the city’s allegations were resoundingly rejected. I remain fully committed to protecting the right to vote from baseless attacks.”
Secretary of State Shirley Weber called the ruling a “victory for California, for voters, and for democracy.”
“As California Secretary of State, I have a responsibility to ensure that every eligible Californian can exercise their constitutional right to vote, and I take that duty seriously,” Weber said in a statement. “Attorney General Bonta and I have held steadfast that state law preempts the city’s attempts to impose illegal voting requirements on eligible voters and that Huntington Beach’s Measure A is unlawful.”
City representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In March 2024, Surf City voters passed by 53% Measure A, a charter amendment that would allow the city to require voters to present identification when casting a ballot in local elections starting in 2026.
“Huntington Beach voters deserve the right to know that our elections are secure. It is crucial for our democracy that voters have faith in our election results,” then Councilmember Tony Strickland and then Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark wrote in ballot arguments supporting the measure. City officials have pointed out that other states have voter ID requirements.
The following month, Bonta and Huntington Beach resident Mark Bixby, who publishes the Surf City Sentinel Facebook page, filed separate lawsuits against the city to block the implementation of the measure. Bonta said at the time that the policy “undermines that process and threatens the constitutionally protected right to vote.”
In December 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill barring cities from enacting their own voter ID laws.
The 4th District Court of Appeals ruled in November that Huntington Beach’s proposed local voter ID requirement would violate state election law — a decision that overturned an earlier trial court ruling, which supported the city’s argument that being a charter city allows local leaders greater control over municipal elections.
“This case presents us a much narrower, simpler question: Is voter identification a matter of ‘integrity of the electoral process,’ which our Supreme Court has held is a matter of statewide concern,” the judges wrote in their Nov. 3 decision.
With the Supreme Court declining to review the case, it’s not clear what other legal avenue the city has to implement a voter ID policy.
Bixby said he’s “gratified” by the high court’s decision and called the city’s challenges a “huge waste” of taxpayer funds.
Bixby intends to recover legal fees from the city, his attorney Lee Finks said.
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