On September 26th, Gavin Newsom signed a law prohibiting California cities from requiring valid ID to vote in municipal elections. This was done in response to a ballot initiative in Huntington Beach that passed in March and would have required residents to present an ID in local elections beginning in 2026.
The state of California immediately sued Huntington Beach, claiming that the measure imposed an unnecessary burden on minority voters. State Attorney General Rob Batta suggested that Huntington Beach residents voted for this measure based on “unfounded” concerns about voter fraud.
However, there is mounting evidence that the security of our elections is in jeopardy. The state of Oregon recently admitted that an error in their system allowed over 1000 noncitizens to register to vote. ID requirements are a simple, commonsense measure that provide a necessary layer of protection to our elections.
Landmark has long been vocal about deficiencies in California’s electoral system. We submitted multiple administrative complaints to the Department of Justice notifying them of California’s failure to maintain accurate voting rolls.
City governments have a duty to administer safe and secure elections. The newest law is just the latest in a series of actions taken by California officials to undermine the integrity of the electoral system.