An Orange County judge on Monday, April 7, denied the state attorney general’s efforts to overturn Huntington Beach’s voter ID law, saying he disagreed with arguments it would disenfranchise voters in future elections.
“There is no showing that a voter identification requirement compromises the integrity of a municipal election,” Orange County Superior Court Judge Nico Dourbetas wrote in his ruling.
Mayor Pat Burns called the ruling “a huge victory” for Huntington Beach and charter cities throughout California. Huntington Beach officials argue being a charter city allows local leaders greater control over city elections.
The city is fighting to protect the voter-approved Measure A, but its court win this week likely won’t put an end to the case. The state attorney general’s office has already said it will appeal the decision. This is the second time in the case that Dourbetas has ruled against the state.
“Yet again, we believe the Orange County Superior Court got it wrong,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “Now that we have a final order from the Orange County Superior Court, we look forward to moving on and appealing the decision. We remain confident that Measure A will ultimately be struck down.”…