Newsom Judge Permanently Halts Implementation of Shasta County’s Voter ID Measure

Shasta County made headlines after its voters passed a ballot initiative approving voter ID in local elections. Voters approved Measure B on June 2, 2026, with 55.59% support.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber immediately sued the county over Measure B, and argued it conflicted with state election law and exceeded a charter county’s authority.

Monday evening, SOS Weber announced Shasta County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Hanna, a Newsom appointee, struck down Measure B and claimed it “would have effectively disenfranchised thousands of eligible voters in Shasta County by imposing voting requirements that violate state law and exceeds the county’s authority.”

“California is proud to lead the nation in offering eligible voters secure, accessible, and transparent elections,” SOS Weber ironically said. “Los Angeles County election officials recently confirmed they run their voter rolls on the honor system, and have no independent way to check whether someone is actually a U.S. citizen beyond the little box a registrant checks on a form,” the Globe reported. “No immigration records. No naturalization documents. No access to the federal SAVE database—California hasn’t even authorized it for this election.”

Judge Hanna issued a preliminary injunction in August 2026 that blocked it from taking effect for the November election, Shasta Scout reported. “Proponents of the measure advertised it as a voter ID law, but it also included several other provisions that would’ve made significant changes to Shasta’s elections, a number of which are illegal in California.”

On Monday, he permanently struck the measure down, ruling that its key provisions were “wholly contrary to existing state law,” that election administration and integrity are matters of statewide concern, and that charter-county status does not allow local rules that conflict with state statutes. Non-conflicting pieces could not be severed and implemented.

“Any way you slice it, Measure B was a colossal waste of time and taxpayer funds,” said California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. “The proponents of the Measure knew it was unlawful but submitted it to the voters anyway. Today’s decision affirms what was a forgone conclusion from the beginning. As long as there are those willing to enact reckless, illegal, and poorly drafted laws, on behalf of Californians, we will see them in court.”

SOS Weber continued:

“Measure B would have required voters to present a government-issued photo identification to register to vote and vote in person, eliminated vote-by-mail and most early voting options. It would have also mandated the hand-counting of ballots and created a separate county voter registration system disconnected from the state’s uniform system. Additionally, it would have limited voting to a single in-person Election Day, with limited exceptions for voters with disabilities, members of the military, and U.S. citizens living abroad. Today’s ruling ensures these changes will not be implemented or enforced.”

“Attorney Alexander Haberbush, who represents the proponents of the measure brought up several related cases in court Monday, including Huntington Beach’s voter ID law, which was also struck down after legal action by the attorney general and secretary of state,” Shasta Scout reported.

“In an emailed comment, Haberbush said the measure’s proponents are ‘reviewing every option, including an appeal.’”

“’Today’s ruling tells the voters of every charter county in California that they have no say over how their own elections are run,’ he added, acknowledging that a majority of voters, about 56%, approved the measure.”