State Senate Approves Min’s Voter ID Protections

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) announced the Senate’s passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1174, which prohibits local governments from imposing voter identification (ID) requirements in local elections and reinforces the State of California’s exclusive jurisdiction on the matter. The bill passed off of the Senate Floor on a 30-8 vote and has moved over to the Assembly. 

“The Senate’s passage of SB 1174 sends a clear message: local jurisdictions do not have the authority to enact their own voter ID requirements in contravention of California state law,” said Senator Dave Min. “It is up to the Legislature, not each of the hundreds of local cities in this state, to decide what the appropriate election verification requirements should be. And as I’ve said before, if evidence is presented indicating that voter fraud is a major problem in this state, then we should act. But we have not seen any evidence of a problem with voting fraud, and it seems that voter ID requirements—such as those contemplated in Huntington Beach—are meant to undermine trust in our elections while obstructing participation from lower propensity voters. I’d like to thank my Senate colleagues for their strong support.”  

“SB 1174 reaffirms that voting rights are a matter of statewide concern and protects Californians from the severe, disparate, and unnecessary barriers created by voter ID mandates,” said Brittany Stonesifer, Voting Rights Staff Attorney at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California.

In March, the City of Huntington Beach approved a charter amendment that would implement voter ID requirements in City elections starting in 2026. If signed into law by the Governor, SB 1174 would nullify Measure A before it is enacted.  

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