OC Judge Orders Huntington Beach to Switch to a New Election System
Huntington Beach residents could soon be forced to change how they vote for city council members after a judge ordered the city to shift to a new, ranked-choice voting system that would put all seven members of the dais on the ballot at once and potentially cost more money.
The order from Orange County Superior Court Judge Craig Griffin comes after a yearslong legal battle where Surf City leaders opposed changing their current at-large voting system, which sees all voters select city council members in staggered terms for office with one vote, usually in general elections in the fall.
Surf City is the latest in a long line of Orange County municipalities forced to change their voting systems under the California Voting Rights Act, with courts finding that the at-large system can disenfranchise minority voters.
Huntington Beach Mayor Casey McKeon did not respond to requests for comment.
https://voiceofoc.org/2026/06/oc-judge-orders-huntington-beach-to-switch-to-a-new-election-system/