Huntington Beach, California, Measure 1, Voter ID and Election Rules Amendment (March 2024)

Huntington Beach Measure 1
Election date March 5, 2024
Topic Local charter amendments and Local election administration and governance
Status Approved
Type Referral

Huntington Beach Measure 1 was on the ballot as a referral in Huntington Beach on March 5, 2024. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported this charter amendment to: authorize the City of Huntington Beach to require voter identification for elections; provide for at least 20 ADA-compliant in-person voting locations within Huntington Beach; provide that ballot dropboxes are to be monitored for compliance; define an elector as a citizen of the U.S., a resident of Huntington Beach, and at least 18 years old; and state that, in the event of a conflict between the Huntington Beach Charter and California Election Code, the Charter shall prevail.

A "no" vote opposed this charter amendment.

A simple majority was required for the approval of Measure 1.

Aftermath

Senate Bill 1174 (2024)

On September 29, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed Senate Bill 1174 (SB 1174), which prohibited local governments from passing laws to require people to present identification to vote.

In the California State Legislature, Democrats supported SB 1174, and Republicans voted against the bill.

California v. Huntington Beach

On November 3, 2025, the California Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled that the provision of Measure 1 requiring voter ID violated state election law. The ruling stated, "In recent years, a vigorous nationwide debate has arisen over whether voters should be required to present identification at the polls to vote. We are not called upon to resolve this debate. Instead, this case presents us a much narrower, simpler question: Is voter identification a matter of 'integrity of the electoral process,' which our Supreme Court has held is a matter of statewide concern, whether presented in statewide or local elections? We conclude it is, and that as a result [SB 1174] preempts section 705, subdivision (a)(2) of the Huntington Beach City Charter, which purports to permit Huntington Beach to require voters to present identification to vote in municipal elections." The California Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal on January 28, 2026.

Earlier, on April 15, 2024, Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) filed litigation against Huntington Beach over Measure 1 in the Orange County Superior Court. He said, "The right to freely cast your vote is the foundation of our democracy and Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy flies in the face of this principle." Bonta also wrote that state law preempted Measure 1. He stated, "[Measure 1] purports to authorize the City to demand supplemental documentation from registered voters before they cast a ballot, usurping the Legislature’s exclusive authority over voter registration, placing the onus on registered voters to establish their eligibility to vote, and groundlessly challenging the right to vote. This additional burden on voters cannot be reconciled with state law."

Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates responded, "The people of Huntington Beach have made their voices clear on this issue and the people's decision on the March 5th ballot measures for election integrity is final. To that end, the city will vigorously uphold and defend the will of the people."

On November 15, 2024, Superior Court Judge Nico Dourbetas ruled against California, stating that Huntington Beach could implement the ballot measure. After the superior court denied the petition for a writ of mandate, Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D) appealed the decision to the California Fourth District Court of Appeal.

Election results

Huntington Beach Measure 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		32,892	53.40%
No		28,701	46.60%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Measure 1 was as follows:

“

Shall proposed Charter Amendment No. 1, which provides that commencing in 2026, for all municipal elections, the City: may require Voter Identification for elections; provide more in-person voting locations; and monitor ballot drop-boxes, be approved?

”

Support

Supporters

Officials

• Mayor Tony Strickland (R)

Arguments

• Mayor Tony Strickland (R): "Our democracy does not work if people do not have faith in the election results. Anytime you can put safeguards in I think it’s important to do so people have faith in our election outcomes."

Opposition

Opponents

Officials

• Attorney General Rob Bonta (D)
• Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D)

Organizations

• ACLU of Southern California
• Disability Rights California

Arguments

• Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D): "We cannot turn back the clock on voting rights. Voter ID requirements at the polls have historically been used to turn eligible voters away from exercising the franchise, especially low-income voters and voters of color. Not only is the action unlawful, it is also unnecessary because California already has guardrails in place for establishing both eligibility of each voter and for confirming their identity when returning their ballot."
• Councilmember Natalie Moser: "We’re not improving people’s vision of this safe election. We are not doing that. It’s the exact opposite; we are sowing chaos in our elections. I trust the elections right now. I will not trust them under these circumstances."
• ACLU of Southern California and Disability Rights California: "We have serious concerns about the legality and negative implications of the proposal to add Section 705 to the city charter relating to municipal elections (“proposed charter amendment”). Section 705’s voter identification (“voter ID”) provision violates state law. What's more, the voter ID, drop box monitoring, and voting location provisions will likely result in voter suppression. We urge you to reject the proposed charter amendment to avoid voter disenfranchisement and to avoid the waste of taxpayer resources on an election, implementation, and unnecessary litigation."

Background

Letter from Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber

On September 28, 2023, Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) and Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D) sent a letter to the City of Huntington Beach. The letter said that the proposed charter amendment requiring voter identification at the polls in municipal elections would conflict with state law and suppress voter participation without a discernible local benefit. Attorney General Bonta stated, "Huntington Beach’s proposed amendment violates state law and would impose additional barriers to voting. If the city moves forward and places it on the ballot, we stand ready to take appropriate action to ensure that voters’ rights are protected."

Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates responded to the letter, saying, "The letter reads largely as a policy concern and it does keep talking about how these issues are a matter of statewide concern for the state. I think it’s a stretch to say that voter ID in Huntington Beach and monitoring of ballot boxes is a statewide concern."

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in California

On October 5, 2023, the Huntington Beach City Council voted 4-3 to refer the charter amendment to the ballot.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in California

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in California.

How to vote in California

Poll times

All polls in California are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in California, an individual must be a U.S. citizen and California resident, not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony, and not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court. A voter must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day. Pre-registration is available at 16 years of age. Pre-registered voters are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

California automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they complete a driver's license, identification (ID) card, or change of address transaction through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Learn more by visiting this website.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

California has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

California allows same-day voter registration.

Californians must be registered to vote at least 15 days before Election Day. If the registration deadline has passed for an upcoming election, voters may visit a county elections office, polling place, or vote center during the 14 days prior to, and including Election Day to conditionally register to vote and vote a provisional ballot, which are counted once county election officials have completed the voter registration verification process. The state refers to this process as Same Day Voter Registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in California, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

California's constitution requires that voters be U.S. citizens. When registering to vote, proof of citizenship is not required. Individuals who become U.S. citizens less than 15 days before an election must bring proof of citizenship to their county elections office to register to vote in that election. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

As of October 2025, two jurisdictions in California had authorized noncitizen residents to vote for local board of education positions through local ballot measures. Only one of those jurisdictions, San Francisco, had implemented that law. Noncitizens voting for board of education positions must register to vote using a separate application from the state voter registration application.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Two states, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The secretary of state's My Voter Status website allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

California does not require voters to present identification before casting a ballot in most cases.

On September 29, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed SB 1174 into law prohibiting any jurisdiction in the state from adopting a local law that requires voters to present ID before voting.

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote.

The following list of accepted ID to comply with HAVA requirements was current as of October 2025. Click here for the California Secretary of State page to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Current and valid photo identification provided by a third party in the ordinary course of business that includes the name and photograph of the individual presenting it. Examples of photo identification include, but are not limited to, the following documents: driver's license or identification card of any state; passport; employee identification card; identification card provided by a commercial establishment; credit or debit card; military identification card; student identification card; health club identification card; insurance plan identification card; or public housing identification card. Any of the following documents, provided that the document includes the name and address of the individual presenting it, and is dated since the date of the last general election…: utility bill; bank statement; government check; government paycheck; document issued by a governmental agency; sample ballot or other official elections document issued by a governmental agency dated for the election in which the individual is providing it as proof of residency or identity; voter notification card issued by a governmental agency; public housing identification card issued by a governmental agency; lease or rental statement or agreement issued by a governmental agency; student identification card issued by a governmental agency; tuition statement or bill issued by a governmental agency; insurance plan card or drug discount card issued by a governmental agency; discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents issued to the individual by a governmental agency in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence, or other matter; public transportation authority senior citizen and disabled discount cards issued by a governmental agency; identification documents issued by governmental disability agencies; identification documents issued by government homeless shelters and other government temporary or transitional facilities; drug prescription issued by a government doctor or other governmental health care provider; property tax statement issued by a governmental agency; vehicle registration issued by a governmental agency; or vehicle certificate of ownership issued by a governmental agency.

”

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2024
• Local charter amendments ballot measures
• Local elections and campaigns ballot measures
• Orange County measures

California

• California 2024 local measures
• Local ballot measures, California
• Huntington Beach, California

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas

External links

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