The California legislature passed a bill prohibiting local governments from adopting voter ID laws in local elections.
While earlier in the year the City of Huntington Beach approved a voter ID requirement in order to vote in municipal elections beginning in 2026, the state of California does not require identification to vote. This bill would overrule Huntington Beach’s policy.
“Create Barriers”
State Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, the author of the bill, stated, “An overwhelming body of evidence proves that voter ID laws only subvert voter turnout and create barriers to law abiding voters.”
“To register to vote in California, voters are already required to provide their driver’s license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number.”
Failed Amendment
An amendment to the bill that failed to pass, SB 1174, introduced by state Assemblymember Bill Essayli, a Republican from Corona, would have explicitly prohibited undocumented immigrants from voting.
Undocumented immigrants are able to obtain California identification numbers, and noncitizens are permitted to vote in San Francisco’s local school board elections.
Santa Ana Following Suit
The City of Santa Ana, which is adjacent to Huntington Beach, is thinking about following San Francisco’s example in allowing undocumented immigrants to vote in local elections.
Noncitizens would be able to vote in the city’s municipal elections, not just school board ones, under a proposal for a ballot measure in November.
Attorney General Sues
California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued Huntington Beach for its statute on voter ID laws, as he asserted that it abuses state and federal laws.
This was claimed in light of the fact that most elections include deciding in casting a vote on municipal, state, and federal office positions at the same time.
Video Surveillance
Bonta argued that the ordinance’s requirement for video surveillance of ballot drop boxes could discourage voting on top of the requirement for voter IDs.
Huntington Beach contends that since legislators introduced SB 1174 it suggests that it was, in fact, permissible for its voters to approve this kind of ordinance in the first place.
“Without any Proof”
If the governor signs the ordinance, the city, a charter city with more rights under the state constitution, will likely use legal means to defend it against the law.
According to Min when SB 1174 was passed, “Despite zero evidence of voter fraud, cities like Huntington Beach have tried to put forward their own local voter ID requirements without any proof of legitimate election interference.”
“Scare Tactics”
Min went on to state, “SB 1174 makes clear that the State of California has sole authority over state and local election requirements, and finally puts to rest the idea that cities can meddle with State voter protections.”
“These scare tactics are not only unlawful, but seek to sow distrust in American democracy.”
Voter Verification
California is one of 15 states which do not have voter ID laws. Election officials use a series of authentications in order to confirm voter legitimacy such as ballot tracking, mandatory recounts, and signature verification checks.
ACLU election experts have testified that there have been no documented reports of widespread or systemic fraud in U.S. elections.
Voter Fraud
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer says that he has never once found enough evidence necessary to prosecute an individual for voter fraud while he has held the position.
According to Bob Page, Orange County’s Registrar of Voters, “This is our democracy. It’s important to protect that. So we want to be fully transparent on what we do and will always answer questions about it.”
Combatting Conspiracy Theories
During the primary election in March California Secretary of State Shirley Weber wanted to assure voters of the thoroughness of their procedures.
“There will always be those who don’t believe. We know that. There will always be naysayers. But we have yet to find a better system that says every person gets one vote and that vote counts.”
Investigations into Voter Fraud
Spitzer says that during this tenure in office, he has experienced approximately 10 to 15 reports of possible voter fraud which his team investigates following each election.
Most of these complaints concern allegations of people having voted more than once.
Spitzer said, “For each voter, you can only vote once. So, the first ballot (we get) back from the voter is going to be the one that we count.”
