Republicans Rally in Fresno for Voter ID Ballot Measure as Critics Warn of Barriers

Republican leaders gathered in Fresno this week to campaign for Proposition 39, a November ballot measure that would require California voters to show government-issued identification to cast a ballot.

The measure, backed by Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, would require in-person voters to present government-issued ID. Voters who vote by mail would have to provide a government-issued identification number when registering and write the last four digits on their ballot envelope.

At the Fresno event, DeMaio argued the proposal would help restore public confidence in elections. Kyle Kirkland, a candidate for California’s 21st Congressional District, told attendees: “We can talk about voter integrity, and we can talk about showing an ID. But I think the big thing is for us, as voters, we all need to come away after we vote and feel like, okay, my vote mattered.”

Opponents warn the measure could create barriers for eligible voters who lack required ID or have difficulty obtaining it. Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, called Proposition 39 “a Trump-backed attack on Californians’ fundamental right to vote” that “would make voting harder, put voters’ personal information at risk, force taxpayers to spend hundreds of millions of dollars and delay election results.”

The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates Proposition 39 would cost state and local governments between tens of millions and low hundreds of millions of dollars annually to implement, depending on decisions made by state and local officials.

According to the Voter Information Guide published by the California Secretary of State’s Office, voters who vote by mail would have to designate which identification number they are using — Social Security or driver’s license — and actually use that number. If a voter indicates they used their driver’s license number but instead wrote the last four digits of their Social Security number, their ballot wouldn’t count.

The measure also requires elections officials to annually report the percentage of each county’s voters whose citizenship officials verified.

Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares, R-Lancaster, told The Center Square the measure “ensures a free state ID to any eligible voter who doesn’t have one.” Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, previously told The Center Square that “36 other states have this as part of their laws” and that “every state that has had this actually had higher voter participation, not lower.”

The Breakdown

• Proposition 39 would amend California’s constitution to require in-person voters to present government-issued ID
• Mail-in voters would have to provide a government-issued identification number when registering and write the last four digits on their ballot envelope
• Voters must designate which ID type they’re using (Social Security or driver’s license) and use that exact number — a mismatch would invalidate the ballot
• Elections officials would have to annually report the percentage of each county’s voters whose citizenship they verified
• The measure includes a provision for free state IDs for eligible voters who don’t have one
• Implementation would cost state and local governments between tens of millions and low hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars annually, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office

What This Means for You

You will decide Proposition 39 on your November 3 ballot. If it passes, you’ll need government-issued ID to vote in person, and if you vote by mail, you’ll need to write the last four digits of either your Social Security number or driver’s license number on your ballot envelope — and match whichever type you designated when you registered. A mismatch means your ballot won’t count.

Supporters say the measure builds confidence in elections; opponents say it creates barriers to voting. Your vote settles whether California joins the 36 states that already require voter ID, or keeps its current system.

What You Can Do

Read the full text of Proposition 39 in the California Voter Information Guide, available through the Secretary of State’s Office. The measure appears on your November 3 ballot — early voting information and polling locations are available at your county elections office.

What to Watch

The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates implementation would cost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars annually, depending on decisions state and local officials make. The material doesn’t identify which specific implementation decisions would drive costs higher or lower, or what services those funds would purchase.

Opponents say eligible voters who lack required ID or can’t easily obtain it will face new barriers, but the material doesn’t quantify how many Californians that might be. The measure includes a provision for free state IDs, but doesn’t detail how voters would obtain them or what documentation that process requires.

The ballot-rejection question is concrete: voters who write the wrong ID number — even by honest mistake — will have their ballots thrown out. The material doesn’t estimate how many ballots this might affect.

The citizenship-reporting requirement obligates elections officials to annually report the percentage of each county’s voters whose citizenship they verified. The material doesn’t specify what information gets reported, who has access to it, or what safeguards apply.

Supporters claim states with voter ID see higher turnout; opponents say barriers suppress it. The material provides these competing claims but doesn’t include independent analysis of turnout data from states that implemented similar measures.