government
Judge orders Huntington Beach to adopt 'ranked-choice' voting to settle dispute over Latino votes
By Jill Replogle at LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio)
· June 25, 2026
· 4 min read
An aerial view of Huntington Beach, which could see its traditional way of voting upended.(trekandshoot/Getty Images / iStockphoto)The traditional way of voting in Huntington Beach could be upended after a judge’s ruling this week in a case accusing the city of diluting the electoral power of its...
Key takeaway (trekandshoot/Getty Images / iStockphoto)The traditional way of voting in Huntington Beach could be upended after a judge’s ruling this week in a case accusing the city of diluting the electoral power of its Latino residents.
Why this matters in The Los Angeles
The ruling to adopt ranked-choice voting in Huntington Beach has significant implications for the city's Latino residents, who have long argued that the current at-large election system dilutes their voting power. The fact that Judge Griffin deemed "racially polarized voting" a regular occurrence in Huntington Beach elections underscores the need for a change. As the city moves to implement ranked-choice voting for the November general election, it will be worth watching how this new system affects the representation of Latino residents, particularly in the predominantly Latino neighborhood of Oak View. The adoption of ranked-choice voting could potentially lead to more diverse representation on the city council, which could in turn address the decades of neglect that Oak View has faced. This change could also have a ripple effect on other cities in Orange County and California that are facing similar challenges to their at-large election systems.
About this story
Original reporting by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) . The Los Angeles surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
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Category: government ·
Published: June 25, 2026 ·
Source: LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) ·
Reading time: 4 min
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What is this story about? An aerial view of Huntington Beach, which could see its traditional way of voting upended.(trekandshoot/Getty Images / iStockphoto)The traditional way of voting in Huntington Beach could be upended after a judge’s ruling this week in a case accusing the city of diluting the electoral power of its...
When was this published? This article was first published on June 25, 2026 by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) and curated for The Los Angeles readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Jill Replogle at LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio). To learn more about how The Los Angeles selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
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