Mailbag: Huntington Beach City Council misses mark again with election resolution

Facts don’t matter to President Trump and the MAGA movement. Facts also don’t matter to the MAGA Huntington Beach City Council, which has accepted “junk data” to suggest that elections are not secure in our county.

On Oct. 7, Huntington Beach’s MAGA council voted to adopt a resolution that embraces fake data from Unite 4 Freedom, a national right-wing group that worked on Trump’s “Stop the Steal” campaign. (“Huntington Beach passes resolution calling for free and fair elections,” Daily Pilot, Oct. 8.)

By endorsing this unaudited and inaccurate data, the City Council is allowing the spread of misinformation to voters.

Much to Trump’s liking, Unite 4 Freedom (a subgroup of right-wing United Sovereign Americans, Inc.) is pushing its conspiracy theories about voter fraud all over the country. It has tried to sue states for election fraud, even Texas, but has been unsuccessful in all attempts.

Unite 4 Freedom’s team compiles faulty statistics using partisan volunteers who donate time and money to the Missouri-based organization. One of their most ridiculous claims is that over 9 million California voters in the registration database have “material errors and omissions.” With about 22 million registered voters in California, Unite 4 Freedom is suggesting that nearly half the voter rolls in our state are flawed! This outrageous accusation requires substantial proof.

If the City Council is serious about keeping elections secure and transparent, they should invite a representative from the nonpartisan Orange County Registrar of Voters to provide accurate, unbiased information to citizens. They should also take a public tour of our voting facility.

A comprehensive review of the 2024 general election in Orange County found no evidence of fraud or interference, according to a 25-page report made by the Orange County Grand Jury. We have a safe and secure election system in Orange County; we don’t need outside partisan hacks spewing misinformation about our elections.

Carol Daus
Huntington Beach

Support for Prop. 50

Normally, redistricting maps are redrawn every 10 years following the census. At the urging of President Trump, who asked Texas to “find five more Republicans” to secure control of the U.S. House in the November 2026 election, the Texas Legislature redrew their congressional district maps maps, mid-cycle. The Missouri Legislature soon followed. Proposition 50, Election Rigging Response Act, if passed, will temporarily override California’s congressional district maps drawn by the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission with new maps drawn by the California Legislature in AB 604 selc.senate.ca.gov/proposed-congressional-map.

The proposed maps, which are available in your Official Voter Information Guide will be used for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 congressional elections. The Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will resume enacting congressional district maps in 2031after the 2030 census and every 10 years thereafter.

Some folks understandably believe a “yes” vote undermines California voters’ previous election to utilize the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw fair and impartial maps for our state. Prop. 50 puts the power in the hands of the people of California to approve the proposed congressional district maps. It is California’s response to Texas politicians’ mid-cycle redistricting of their congressional district maps without Texas voter approval. Voters in Missouri also did not have a voice.

Californians have been given the opportunity to vote. As noted above, the use of legislatively drawn maps is temporary. This is an urgent situation where the means justifies the end. We simply need to level the playing field.

The current Congressional majority has neglected to abide by their oath to uphold the Constitution. Their inaction has placed our democracy at great risk. Your “yes” vote can serve to help restore checks and balances within our government, freedom of speech and of the press, rule of law, due process, separation of church and state, factual history, and fair and equal voting rights for all Americans.

We are in a defining moment in the history of our entire country. California voters get to choose either democracy or autocracy. Silence is complicity. Please choose democracy and vote “yes” on Prop. 50.

Judy Morris
Huntington Beach