Attorney General Bonta Secures Appealable Order He Sought in Huntington Beach Voter ID Case, Looks Forward to Filing Appeal

Appeal Will Address Merits of Case and Seek to Strike Down Voter ID Measure

OAKLAND -California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following statement today in response to the Orange County Superior Court's decision to grant the state's request for an appealable order in the case concerning Huntington Beach's voter identification (voter ID) law, Measure A:

"We sought, and have now secured, an appealable order from the Orange County Superior Court," said Attorney General Bonta. "We look forward to filing our appeal and making our case before the California Fourth District Court of Appeal that Huntington Beach's voter ID policy is unlawful."

On November 15, 2024, the Orange County Superior Court concluded that the state's lawsuit against Huntington Beach was "not ripe for adjudication" because Measure A "is permissive and discretionary in character, and thus currently presents no conflict with state elections law." The decision also allowed Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber 20 days to file an amended petition.

On December 5, 2024, Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber announced their intention to appeal the Orange County Superior Court's decision, filing a Request for Entry of Judgment. In that filing, Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber wrote that they:

• Elected not to file an amended complaint by the time allotted.
• Respectfully disagreed with the court's November 15, 2024 order and sought an appealable judgment as soon as possible, to give the parties the necessary time to resolve the issues presented by this matter before the planning for the 2026 elections begins.

The Orange County Superior Court will now enter an appealable order, as requested by Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber.