Prop 39 would require government-issued photo ID for in-person voting in California and an ID number on mail ballot envelopes if voters approve it on California's midterm ballot. Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio is leading the charge for the measure, which would also force the state to issue a free voter ID card on request.
DeMaio described the proposal as “a commonsense fix to rebuild trust in elections.” The yes campaign has pulled in more than $24 million, while state analysts estimate that implementing voter ID could cost tens of millions of dollars or even hundreds of millions every year.
Carl DeMaio and Prop. 39
If Prop. 39 passes, voters would have to show a government-issued photo ID every time they vote in person. Mail voters would have to write the last four digits of an ID number on the return envelope, which would make identification part of the voting process before ballots are counted.
The measure also would require election officials to use government data to check that registered voters are U.S. citizens and to publish those results every year. That annual reporting would add a new layer of public review to the state’s voter list administration.
Gavin Newsom, Nancy Pelosi oppose
Governor Gavin Newsom and Nancy Pelosi oppose the measure, along with voting rights groups. They argue the proposal would keep eligible people from voting to address in-person voter fraud, a problem research shows is extremely rare. That dispute now sits at the center of the campaign over California's midterm ballot.
For voters without government-issued photo ID, the immediate fallback under Prop. 39 would be a free voter ID card requested from the state. The measure does not change the fact that California voters will decide yes or no on the proposal in November, but it would change what identification they need to have ready before they cast a ballot.
California voters and November ballots
The practical question for voters is simple: whether California should add photo-ID checks for both in-person and mail voting, or leave the current process in place. Supporters are financing the push with more than $24 million; opponents are trying to stop it before November ballots are cast.
