OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. today issued the following statements in response to the California Supreme Court's decision to reject the City of Huntington Beach's petition for review in Bonta v. Huntington Beach. The petition asked the state's highest court to review an appellate ruling that struck down the City's voter identification (voter ID) law, Measure A, as unlawful and preempted by state law. Without citing any evidence that fraudulent voting occurs with any regularity in the City or has ever compromised the outcome of a municipal election, Measure A amended the City's charter to purportedly allow the City to impose voter ID requirements at the polls for municipal elections starting in 2026. Today's action by the California Supreme Court effectively concludes the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber on April 15, 2024, fully resolving the case in their favor.

"Today's victory makes one thing crystal clear: No city in our state, charter and non-charter alike, is above the law. All along, Secretary of State Weber and I have maintained that Huntington Beach's voter ID policy is illegal, and now, the state's highest court has weighed in and agreed with us. Measure A won't be taking effect - ever," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. "Huntington Beach's leaders have been parroting the Trump Administration's talking points by questioning the integrity of our elections. In court, the City's allegations were resoundingly rejected. I remain fully committed to protecting the right to vote from baseless attacks."

"Today the California Supreme Court declined to review the Fourth District Court of Appeal's decision prohibiting the City of Huntington Beach from implementing illegal voter identification requirements. As California Secretary of State, I have a responsibility to ensure that every eligible Californian can exercise their constitutional right to vote, and I take that duty seriously," said Secretary of State Shirley Weber. "Attorney General Bonta and I have held steadfast that state law preempts the City's attempts to impose illegal voting requirements on eligible voters and that Huntington Beach's Measure A is unlawful. I am grateful the California Supreme Court did not disturb the Fourth District Court of Appeal ruling. This is another victory for California, for voters, and for democracy."