The Huntington Beach City Council voted Thursday to add a charter amendment to the March 2024 ballot which would require voters to show photo ID at the ballot box.
Last week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber sent a letter to the city, warning that the proposal violates state law. Nevertheless, the council passed the proposal in a 4-3 vote.
During Thursday night’s meeting, dozens of residents spoke about the proposal, the vast majority in opposition. Some questioned the necessity and purpose of the law
“Voter fraud? Where is the evidence?” a resident asked. “None has been produced that I can see.”
Under the proposal, the city of Huntington Beach would run its own local elections, taking that responsibility – and the associated costs – away from Orange County. Along with requiring residents to show ID at polling locations, the proposal would institute a monitoring system at ballot drop-off boxes.
The move would cost the city millions of dollars, including “in legal costs when we get sued,” said Councilmember Natalie Moser, who voted against the proposal.
Bonta and Weber said in last week’s press release that they were prepared to take “appropriate action to ensure that voters’ rights are protected” if the measure moves forward.
“Voter ID requirements at the polls have historically been used to turn eligible voters away from exercising the franchise, especially low-income voters and voters of color,” said Weber. “Not only is the action unlawful, it is also unnecessary because California already has guardrails in place for establishing both eligibility of each voter and for confirming their identity when returning their ballot.”
Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark, who supports the proposal, argued against the well-established evidence that voter ID laws disproportionately impact voters of color.
“I do not like identity politics, but I will point this out. Every single person who said people of color cannot get IDs was not a person of color,” she said. “But yet, they’re speaking for me. I can speak for myself.”
If voters approve the charter amendment, it would go into effect in 2026.
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