Voter ID law in conservative California city passes major hurdle

A law requiring voters to present identification in one California city has overcome a major obstacle after a judge tossed a state lawsuit against it.

On Friday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Nico Dourbetas granted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against Huntington Beach filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta earlier this year. The lawsuit challenged the validity of Measure A, an amendment to the city charter that requires voter ID for municipal elections beginning in 2026 and that passed with 53% of the vote, the LA Times reported.

Bonta previously argued that Measure A "disproportionately burdens low-income voters, voters of color, young or elderly voters, and people with disabilities."

The lawsuit also claimed it violates SB1174, which bars all local governments in California from "requiring a person to present identification for the purpose of voting or submitting a ballot." Far-left Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law in late September.

But Dourbetas ruled that the Huntington Beach ordinance and state law are not in "conflict."

"The City’s Charter is permissive ... and thus currently presents no conflict with state elections law," he said, according to the Orange County Register.

'We anticipate this fight isn’t over.'

Huntington Beach officials have since praised the ruling.

City Attorney Michael Gates called it "a massive black eye to the state of California."

"What the state of California needs to know, if they haven’t found out already, is Huntington Beach is not going to be intimidated or deterred," he said in a statement.

Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark claimed that her city and the judge's ruling stood up to "attacks by Governor Newsom and the State."

"This is a great day for our City," she and other officials said in a collective statement, according to the Times.

However, they likewise acknowledged that an appeal is likely.

"We anticipate this fight isn’t over," Gates said.

"We will not back down and will continue to fight for the City," added Van Der Mark.

Indeed, AG Bonta's office indicated as much in a statement about the ruling on Friday. "The court’s decision does not address the merits of the case. We continue to believe that Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy clearly conflicts with state law, and will respond appropriately in court," the statement said.

This is hardly the first time Huntington Beach, a Republican stronghold in otherwise purple Orange County, has defied woke policies in California. Folks there fought back against lockdown measures in 2020 and voted in March to outlaw the Pride flag on municipal buildings.

Earlier this month, they elected Lisa Lane Barnes to serve as city clerk. Lane Barnes, who was endorsed by the Republican Party of Orange County, made voter ID a central campaign issue.

H/T: Mario Nawfal

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