Overview
- Backers delivered what they say are more than 1.3 million signatures, kicking off events in Riverside County and planning petition submissions across all 58 counties this week with five promotional rallies.
- The campaign, led by Reform California and Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, says the effort has broad, cross-party support, though signature and polling claims have not yet been verified by election officials.
- To qualify, roughly 875,000 valid signatures are required, after which state officials would place the measure on the November ballot if county reviews confirm the threshold.
- The proposal would require government photo ID at polling places, mandate writing the last four digits of a government ID on mail-ballot envelopes, provide free voter ID cards upon request, and direct officials to verify voter citizenship and maintain rolls.
- Opponents including the League of Women Voters of California and the ACLU warn the measure could disenfranchise voters, expose personal data, and enable errors to invalidate ballots in a state where more than 80% of 2024 votes were cast by mail and no voter ID is currently required.