The California legislature recently passed a bill, SB 1174, that would prohibit local governments from enacting voter identification requirements for local elections. Although California does not currently mandate ID for voting in state or federal elections, this legislation aims to prevent municipalities from establishing such policies independently. The move directly challenges the City of Huntington Beach, which approved a voter ID requirement for its municipal elections starting in 2026. If signed into law, SB 1174 would effectively nullify Huntington Beach’s ordinance.
An amendment to the bill, proposed by Assemblymember Bill Essayli (R-Corona), sought to explicitly ban undocumented immigrants from voting, but the amendment failed. California allows noncitizens to vote in certain local elections, such as school board elections in San Francisco. Following this precedent, Santa Ana is considering a measure that would allow noncitizens to vote in all municipal elections, not just school board elections.
The controversy surrounding Huntington Beach’s voter ID ordinance has escalated, with California Attorney General Rob Bonta filing a lawsuit against the city. Bonta argues that the ordinance conflicts with state and federal laws, especially since most elections in California involve multiple levels of government—municipal, state, and federal—on the same ballot. He also contends that the ordinance’s requirement for ballot drop boxes to be monitored by video could discourage voters.
In response, Huntington Beach officials argue that the introduction of SB 1174 suggests the legality of their ordinance under existing law. As a charter city, Huntington Beach claims it has greater autonomy under the state constitution and is likely to pursue legal action to defend its policy if the governor signs the bill into law.
