Southern California Town Faces Legal Battle over Voter ID Law as State Calls It ‘Overreach’

A coastal town in Southern California is facing legal action from the state government due to its voter ID law, which was passed by over 50% of voters last year. Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark has described this as “government overreach” and insists that they will push forward with implementing these measures despite a lawsuit filed against them by California’s Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, who argue that the city’s voter ID law “unlawfully conflicts” with state laws. Van Der Mark has accused Sacramento authorities of attempting to “make an example out of Huntington Beach” due to their recent contentious decisions on issues such as flag protocol and library books. This is not the first time that California officials have threatened legal action against conservative cities over local policies, having done so with several school districts last year regarding parental notification laws. Bonta has argued that state elections already contain “robust voter ID requirements” but Huntington Beach’s proposed measures would disproportionately impact low-income voters and people of color among others.