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With Huntington Beach's voter ID law in court, President Trump looms large
A ballot reader at a vote center in Huntington Beach, Nov. 8, 2022.
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Jill Replogle
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LAist
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An Orange County judge is holding a hearing Thursday on the state’s effort to block Huntington Beach’s controversial new voter ID law.
The backstory
Huntington Beach voters approved a measure last year allowing the city to require people to show ID when casting a ballot. That contradicts state law — voters in California are asked to prove their identity when they register to vote, but not at polling places. The state subsequently sued Huntington Beach.
A new wrinkle — President Trump
Lawyers for Huntington Beach are now asking the judge to take into consideration President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on election integrity, aimed at strengthening “voter citizenship verification.” The city is interpreting that order as giving local officials authority to check a voter’s eligibility by checking their ID.
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Why this case matters
Requiring voters to show ID at polls has long been a controversial topic across the U.S., and historically was used to disenfranchise Black voters. Voting rights advocates say groups that include students, the elderly and people of color are less likely to have a government-issued ID. Supporters of voter ID say it’s a commonsense measure to prevent election fraud.
Where is the hearing?
The hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. before Orange County Superior Court Judge Nick Dourbetas, Dept. C25, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana.
Go deeper on the issues
Corrected April 3, 2025 at 4:12 PM PDT
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that voters in California are asked to prove citizenship when they register to vote. LAist regrets the error.
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