News Summary
The Huntington Beach City Council unanimously approved Resolution 2025-64 to enhance election integrity ahead of the 2026 elections. The resolution addresses community concerns over past election transparency and aims to restore public confidence. It includes measures for voter verification and ballot security, sparked by allegations from a local group regarding election discrepancies. While council members expressed the need for these measures, some residents criticized the resolution as unnecessary and politically charged. Ongoing discussions highlight the contentious relationship between local governance and electoral transparency in the community.
Huntington Beach – The Huntington Beach City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday night to pass Resolution 2025-64, designed to ensure a legally valid and transparent election in 2026. The resolution, aimed at increasing public confidence in the electoral process, addresses several key issues raised by community members regarding election integrity.
The motion was introduced by Mayor Pat Burns and received support from all present council members, including Mayor Pro Tem Casey McKeon, Councilmen Andrew Gruel, Butch Twining, and Councilwoman Gracey Van Der Mark. Councilmen Don Kennedy and Chad Williams were absent during the vote. Mayor Burns voiced serious concerns about the integrity of previous elections, indicating that a lack of confidence discourages public participation in the electoral process.
Resolution 2025-64 outlines specific requirements including compliance with election infrastructure, voter verification, ballot security, accurate counting, and confirmed election outcomes. These measures are in direct response to skepticism among the public about the fairness of past elections.
During the meeting, the council heard testimony from Unite 4 Freedom, a group identified as non-partisan, advocating for trustworthy elections and supporting claims about election integrity issues. An unidentified representative from the organization asserted that they have performed forensic audits on the 2024 federal election across 30 states, claiming to have identified over 39 million defective voter registrations and 14 million votes counted from ineligible voters nationwide.
Specifically, they asserted issues in Orange County, stating that 21.1% of ballots from the November 2024 election were “totally unverifiable.” Breakdown of the alleged discrepancies included: 5.3% from non-existent voters, 6.1% with invalid addresses, and 4.3% concerning non-existent or duplicated Social Security numbers, including cases where more votes were counted than voters.
However, an Orange County Grand Jury report released in January found no evidence of fraud or interference in the 2024 general election, contradicting Unite 4 Freedom’s findings. Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page also refuted the claims presented by Unite 4 Freedom, clarifying that 99.9% of active registered voters have provided proof of identity to vote, further opposing the statistics presented by the group.
In reaction to the council’s resolution, local residents expressed skepticism and discontent regarding the necessity and accuracy of the resolution, as well as its foundational statistics, which were highlighted in public comments and emails leading up to the council meeting. Critics characterized the resolution as politicized and potentially frivolous, arguing that the focus should remain on local governance issues rather than partisan electoral concerns.
In March 2024, Huntington Beach voters approved Measure A, which allowed the city to implement voter ID laws. This decision resulted in a lawsuit from the state of California, asserting that such regulations could disenfranchise voters. A court ruling earlier this year favored the city, but the issue is still under appeal at the state level.
During the council meeting, Councilwoman Van Der Mark emphasized that the perceived issues with election integrity warranted action, suggesting that inaction would be insufficient amidst public concern. The Unite 4 Freedom presentation also warned that Huntington Beach could be adversely affected by Proposition 50, a forthcoming special redistricting election in California.
Despite the unanimous passage of the resolution, the conversation surrounding election integrity remains a contentious topic within the Huntington Beach community. Public discourse continues to revolve around the relationship between local government actions and the transparency of electoral processes.
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Additional Resources
- Los Angeles Times: Huntington Beach Passes Resolution for Elections
- Wikipedia: Elections in the United States
- Orange County Tribune: Voting Resolution Offered
- Google Search: Huntington Beach elections
- CBS News: Huntington Beach to Hold Special Election
- Google Scholar: Huntington Beach election integrity
- LAist: Huntington Beach Library Censorship
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Election
- ABC7: Huntington Beach Sanctuary City Proposal
- Google News: Huntington Beach library
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COSTA MESA STAFF WRITER The COSTA MESA STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERECostaMesa.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Costa Mesa, Orange County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the OC Fair, Concerts in the Park, and Fish Fry. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce and Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast, plus leading businesses in retail, fashion, and technology that power the local economy such as Vans, Experian, and South Coast Plaza. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAnaheim.com, HEREBeverlyHills.com, HERECoronado.com, HEREHollywood.com, HEREHuntingtonBeach.com, HERELongBeach.com, HERELosAngeles.com, HEREMissionViejo.com, HERESanDiego.com, and HERESantaAna.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into California's dynamic landscape.
