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3mo ago

California Appeals Court Strikes Down Huntington Beach Voter ID Measure

The panel said state election law preempts the city’s charter amendment because voter identification implicates a statewide concern under SB 1174.

Garrett Morgan returns his ballot in downtown Huntington Beach on Oct. 25, 2025. 
Poll workers help voters at a vote center at Huntington Beach Central Library in Huntington Beach, CA, on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Overview

  • The Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed an April 7 trial-court ruling that had upheld Huntington Beach’s Measure A and ordered the measure invalidated.
  • The court directed the lower court to require the city to cease any implementation or enforcement of voter ID provisions for local elections.
  • Judges grounded the decision in Elections Code Section 10005, enacted as SB 1174, which prohibits local voter ID rules and applies to charter cities.
  • The opinion framed voter ID as part of the integrity of the electoral process, noting potential burdens on low-income, non-white, elderly, disabled, and young voters.
  • City officials said they are reviewing the ruling and may seek California Supreme Court review within the short window after the decision becomes final.