Asha Longsworth
Staff Writer
Proposition 39, the “citizenship verification and voter identification” initiative will appear on the midterm ballot in California on Nov. 3.
If approved by voters, future elections would require California voters to show government issued ID to cast their votes in person. If voting by mail, they would need to provide ID numbers on their ballots.
Currently Californians do not have to show ID at polling places. Only when registering to vote do they need to provide ID and social security numbers.
“In California you’re certifying that you’re a citizen and may be asked for some kind of identification when you register, but when you vote you’re not asked for that information,” said Marcia Godwin, associate dean and professor of public administration at the University of La Verne’s College of Law and Public Service. “You do have to sign and your signature is compared with the register.”
The register is the Registered Voter List. Eligibility and status can be verified on the California State Portal, voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
“There’s different versions of what kind of identification is needed in order to first register then actually vote, and in general our state has moved to make voting easier,” Godwin said. “One of the concerns is that anything that requires more steps may lower voter turnout or create frustration.”
The ballot measure, if approved by voters, would “Prohibit citizens from voting unless they present government issued verification.”
Those include the California Real ID issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, which costs $40 to $46, or a passport, which costs between $65 and $195.
“This is something that is trying to target people who don’t have all their forms of ID,” said Destiny Tenor, senior political science major. “I don’t even think I have all of those forms of ID.”
“Voters may not have a current driver’s license, the most common form of government issued photo identification, so they’d actually have to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles,” Godwin said. “If you’re not that mobile in terms of having a chronic illness, not having a driver’s license or transportation just going in …becomes difficult.”
Those who oppose Proposition 39 argue that it would reinforce voter inaccessibility and in turn voter apathy.
“The backdrop of this is that this is a Republican-sponsored initiative,” Godwin said. “Some may have some ideological concerns on support and opposition based on $4 million dollars from supporters who donate extensively to these kinds of causes.”
Supporters of Proposition 39 argue that its goal is to reduce voter apathy and strengthen election integrity.
“Every eligible voter should be able to cast their ballot knowing there are clear safeguards … election integrity and access should not be competing priorities,” Patsy Freitag, president of the California Women’s Leadership Association said. “We believe California can protect both, and Prop 39 is an effort to do that.”
Conversations about election integrity exploded in MAGA circles and right-wing media following Democratic Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential win, although investigations into 2020 election fraud came up empty. Still President Donald Trump asserted that the Russian war on Ukraine would not have started “if the 2020 U.S. presidential election weren’t rigged.”
In a June 2026 PBS News Hour interview, Chief Programs Officer of the National Association of Election Administrators Tammy Patrick addressed the election integrity issue.
“Voter fraud is extremely rare because all across the country voter eligibility is verified,” Patrick said. “It’s important to remember the 2020 election was audited, recounted and there was no evidence to dispute the official results … it’s long past time we move on.”
The non-profit American Civil Liberties Union, also addressed the alleged election integrity issue by hosting a “know your rights” training on election safeguarding.
“Our goals are to ensure that every eligible voter can vote, those votes are counted and the results of a fair election are certified and honored,” Jon Blazer, ACLU director of border strategies said.
In 2024 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1174; this law prohibits the state from adopting laws that require voters to present identification prior to voting.
If Proposition 39 approved, it would supersede the state law.
Asha Longsworth can be reached at asha.longsworth@laverne.edu.
Asha Longsworth is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations, and a staff writer for the Campus Times.
