DeKalb GA News

Orange County Superior Court Judge Nico Dourbetas has ruled in favor of Huntington Beach, affirming the legality of the city's voter ID law. This decision comes after California's lawsuit challenging the measure was dismissed.

The initiative, known as Ballot Measure 1, received a 53.4% majority vote from Huntington Beach residents in March. It allows city officials to require voter identification, increase in-person voting locations, and enhance monitoring of ballot drop boxes.

In response to this local measure, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a state law aimed at preempting such local voter ID laws. Attorney General Bonta and Secretary Weber filed a lawsuit against Huntington Beach, which has now been rejected by the court.

City Attorney Michael Gates commented on the ruling: “It’s a massive black eye to the state of California.” He further stated that Huntington Beach will not be intimidated or deterred by state actions.

The Orange County Register reported that while this ruling is a setback for the California attorney general's office, it does not conclude the legal battle. The state may amend its lawsuit, and both parties anticipate that the case could proceed to appeals regardless of trial court outcomes.

Judge Dourbetas noted in his ruling that “The City’s Charter is permissive … and thus currently presents no conflict with state elections law.”

Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark hailed the decision as a victory against what she described as attacks by Governor Newsom and the State but acknowledged that further legal challenges are expected. “We will not back down and will continue to fight for the City,” she stated.