Proposition 39 would amend California’s Constitution to require government-issued identification at polling places or the last four digits of a government-issued identification number for mail voting. It would require the state to provide voter-identification cards on request and require elections officials to report annually the percentage of voters in each county whose citizenship verification is complete. Current registration already requires applicants to attest under penalty of perjury that they are citizens and provide identity information. State fiscal analysts estimate substantial implementation and continuing administrative costs. Election rules need to make fraud difficult without turning ordinary documentation problems into lost votes. Free identification and a correction process matter as much as the nominal ID requirement if the goal is both confidence and access.
Which identity checks should California require when people vote?