First County Ranked Voting
Judge Orders Huntington Beach to Adopt Ranked Choice Voting, First for Orange County
A California judge has ordered Huntington Beach to adopt ranked choice voting, making it the first city in Orange County to use the system. Judge Craig L. Griffin issued the ruling on June 25, 2026, finding that the city's at-large election system violated the California Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Latino voters. Sacramento Bee reported the decision follows a legal battle that began as far back as 2017.
The order also requires the city to consolidate all seven City Council seats onto a single ballot every four years, eliminating the current staggered system. The city is expected to appeal.
A Nine-Year Fight Over Latino Voting Power
The case traces back to May 2017, when resident Victor Valladares and attorney Kevin Shenkman sent Huntington Beach a demand letter. They argued the city's at-large system — where all voters pick candidates for every open council seat — let majority blocs sweep elections. Latino residents, concentrated in the Oak View neighborhood, could never elect a preferred candidate.
After years of no action from the city, the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP) and Valladares filed a formal lawsuit in May 2024. Shenkman said the change would "finally give the Latino community the voice in local government they have been denied for decades." About 18.8% of Huntington Beach's roughly 196,000 residents are Hispanic or Latino, according to 2020 Census data.
Judge Picks Ranked Choice Over District Maps
Most California cities sued under the state's Voting Rights Act have switched to district-based voting, where the city is carved into separate geographic zones. Huntington Beach's conservative council fought that approach hard, arguing districts would limit a voter's say over citywide policy. Judge Griffin offered a middle path: ranked choice voting, which he called a "less drastic remedy."
Under ranked choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference — first, second, third. In a seven-seat race, a candidate needs roughly 12.5% of the vote to win a seat. That lower threshold gives minority communities a realistic shot at representation without redrawing the city map. Griffin found that "racially polarized voting has regularly occurred in Huntington Beach elections." Kansas City Star noted the ruling lets the city keep its charter voting structure.
Supreme Court Ruling Did Not Stop the Case
The city got a potential lifeline in April 2026. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that narrowed the federal Voting Rights Act. Huntington Beach's legal team argued that decision should also limit California's state law. Judge Griffin disagreed. He ruled that the federal narrowing does not weaken the California Voting Rights Act, which is written more broadly than its federal counterpart.
Legal analysts called that move significant. It shields California's law from the Supreme Court's ruling and sets a precedent for other charter cities across the state facing similar lawsuits. City Attorney Michael Vigliotta said officials are "reviewing the decision with outside counsel" — a sign an appeal is likely coming, according to The News Tribune.
City Could Face Over $1 Million in Legal Costs
Losing the case carries a steep price tag. Under the California Voting Rights Act, the winning side gets attorney fees paid by the city. Nearby Cypress paid $835,000 in a similar case. Huntington Beach also recently paid $960,000 in a separate lawsuit over library books. That means total legal costs from this case alone could exceed $1 million.
Beyond legal fees, Orange County's Registrar of Voters will need to update software and ballot designs to handle ranked choice voting, which is more complex than standard elections. All seven council seats will also appear on the same ballot for the first time, potentially resetting the entire council in a single election cycle. Bellingham Herald reported the city's political landscape could shift dramatically as a result.
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