Democrat State Sen. Dave Min (Irvine), who introduced the legislation, claims “ an overwhelming body of evidence proves that voter ID laws only subvert voter turnout and create barriers to law abiding voters.”
California lawmakers advanced a bill last week that would prohibit local governments from implementing voter identification laws for local elections. directly opposing conservative municipalities aiming to protect the bedrock of American democracy.
Senate Bill 1174 passed 57-16 in the California Assembly after successfully passing the Senate last May. It now goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Democrat State Sen. Dave Min (Irvine), who introduced the legislation, claims “ an overwhelming body of evidence proves that voter ID laws only subvert voter turnout and create barriers to law abiding voters.”
“To register to vote in California, voters are already required to provide their driver’s license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number,”
Min wrote, according to Just the News.
The public’s views on this matter are split, with critics claiming that this action weakens the credibility of elections by allowing illegal immigrants to vote as continue to pour into the United States under the Biden Administration.
Kostas Moros, an attorney with Michel & Associates representing California Rifle & Pistol Association, noted on social media that Min’s new bill contradicts his vote for Senate Bill 2, which bans carry in most places, due to data showing in litigation against California’s Department of Justice that that people with CCW permits are overwhelmingly law-abiding.
Moros also pointed to Min’s sponsorship of an Orange County Gun Show ban, despite strict requirements to run background checks.
“Min has no shame in this hypocrisy, and he apparently sees his supporters as morons and assumes they won’t notice,” Moros wrote on social media. “Those supporters should stop proving him right by continuing to reelect him.”
If signed into law, Min’s efforts could establish a standard for balancing local and state powers regarding election laws, overriding local decisions like the one made by Huntington Beach to implement voter ID requirements for its municipal elections starting in 2026.
“We cannot have 100 different charter cities making up 100 different sets of voting rules, based on fringe conspiracy theories,” Min said. “I have repeatedly told the Huntington Beach City Council members pushing this issue that if they were to produce any evidence of widespread voter fraud, I would lead efforts to change California’s voter eligibility rules. They have not produced any such evidence. I am grateful to my colleagues for their overwhelming support for this bill, and I am hopeful that the governor will sign SB 1174 into law later this year.”
Earlier this year, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against Huntington Beach, claiming that its ordinance violates both state and federal laws as most elections entail voting for municipal, state, and federal positions concurrently. Additionally, Bonta argued that the requirement for video monitoring of ballot drop boxes in the ordinance could potentially deter voters.
“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 wrote in an emailed statement reported by local media. “We’re asking the court to block Huntington Beach’s unlawful step toward suppressing or disenfranchising voters.”
Huntington Beach argues that its voters had the right to approve the ordinance. As a charter city with greater rights under the state constitution, it is likely to use legal options to defend the ordinance if the governor signs it into law.
