California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced the acquisition of an appealable order from the Orange County Superior Court in the case involving Huntington Beach's voter identification law, Measure A. The decision is a significant step as it allows the state to move forward with an appeal to challenge the legality of the voter ID measure.
"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."
The initial ruling by the Orange County Superior Court on November 15, 2024, determined that the state's lawsuit was "not ripe for adjudication" because Measure A was deemed "permissive and discretionary in character," thus not conflicting with state election laws at present. This decision provided Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber with a 20-day window to file an amended petition.
On December 5, 2024, both officials expressed their intention to appeal this decision by submitting a Request for Entry of Judgment. In their submission, they stated:
- They chose not to file an amended complaint within the given timeframe.
- They respectfully disagreed with the court’s November 15, 2024 order and sought an appealable judgment promptly to allow adequate time for resolution before preparations for the 2026 elections commence.
With this recent development, the Orange County Superior Court will proceed with entering an appealable order as requested by Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber.