Huntington Beach residents may soon vote for city council members under a new ranked-choice system, following an order from an Orange County Superior Court judge. The ruling mandates that all seven city council members will be on the ballot simultaneously, a change that could also increase election costs, according to a report by voiceofoc.org.
Judge Craig Griffin's order concludes a legal challenge rooted in the California Voting Rights Act. For several years, Huntington Beach leaders resisted altering their existing at-large voting system, where all voters select council members in staggered terms. Courts have found that at-large systems can disadvantage minority voters, leading many Orange County cities to modify their election processes, according to voiceofoc.org.
Victor Valladeres, the resident who initiated the lawsuit, welcomed the court's decision, describing it as the culmination of an effort he began in 2017. Valladeres stated he faced “a lot of pushback from the majority council in the past” regarding electoral voting districts. Kevin Shenkman, Valladeres’ lawyer who has handled multiple Voting Rights Act lawsuits in Southern California, also praised the ruling.
Unlike most cities that transitioned to district voting, Judge Griffin specifically ordered Huntington Beach to adopt ranked-choice voting and consolidate elections. Under this system, the entire city council will be elected at once every four years. Ranked-choice voting allows residents to rank candidates by preference. Griffin noted that this method would better serve minority voters while aligning with the city charter’s objective of allowing all residents to vote for every council member.
The judge ordered the new system to be in place for the November election this year. However, if the county registrar cannot implement it by then, the change could be deferred to the 2028 election. A delay to 2028 would mean any city council members elected this fall would serve two-year terms instead of four. Additionally, if the system is implemented this year, the terms of Councilmen Don Kennedy, Butch Twining, and Chad Williams could be shortened, the report notes.
County Registrar Bob Page stated he had not yet reviewed the court case but confirmed that the State-certified voting system currently used does not support ranked-choice voting. He noted that the system vendor plans to add this functionality, which will then require review and certification by the Secretary of State.
Ranked-choice voting is not currently used by any other cities in Orange County, though Irvine leaders are considering asking voters about it, despite concerns it could significantly increase election costs. This development comes as Huntington Beach officials are also attempting to implement voter ID regulations for local elections, a measure that multiple state courts have advised them against. The original reporting for this article was provided by voiceofoc.org.
