This November, California voters will once again face a ballot packed with consequential decisions — and among them is a measure that could reshape who gets to participate in our elections.
As someone who has spent nearly two decades working to strengthen civic engagement here in the Inland Empire, I’ve come to believe that a healthy democracy depends on elections that are both secure and accessible. I’ve watched newly naturalized citizens cast their first ballots with pride, and I’ve seen young people become lifelong voters simply because someone took the time to walk them through the process. Those moments matter, and the progress behind them is worth protecting.
That’s why I’m concerned about Proposition 39, one of several statewide measures Californians will weigh in on this fall. If approved, it would require voters to show a government-issued photo ID at the polls and would ask mail-in voters to include the last four digits of a government ID number on their ballots — information election officials would then have to cross-check against voter registration records.
The trouble is, California already has a system in place to confirm who is eligible to vote. State law requires anyone registering to affirm, under penalty of perjury, that they are a U.S. citizen, and applicants must submit identifying information such as a driver’s license number or Social Security number. Voting while ineligible is also a federal crime. Prop. 39 would layer a new requirement on top of safeguards that already exist, adding friction without addressing any real problem.
If voters approve the measure, it could create real obstacles for millions of eligible Californians trying to cast a ballot — particularly Latino voters and young people, two groups I’ve worked closely with throughout my career. National research shows that more than one in four Latino adults lack a driver’s license reflecting their current name or address, and 41% of young adults ages 18 to 24 face the same issue. As these groups gain more political influence with each election cycle, measures like this risk chipping away at their voice in California’s future.
There’s also a broader concern about trust. Many eligible voters — especially in immigrant and mixed-status households — are already wary of interacting with government systems because of privacy concerns and uncertainty about how their personal data might be used. Introducing a new ID requirement could deepen that hesitancy, discouraging participation among people who have every right to vote, while also raising questions about the cost and security of implementing such a system.
Supporters of Prop. 39 argue that ID requirements would prevent fraud and bolster confidence in elections. But the evidence simply doesn’t support that claim. According to the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, documented instances of voter fraud occur at a rate of roughly 0.0003% to 0.0025% — essentially nonexistent.
There’s a financial cost to consider as well. California is already grappling with budget shortfalls, and the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that creating a new statewide ID system, as Prop. 39 would require, could cost taxpayers anywhere from tens of millions of dollars to several hundred million. Even if the ID itself were offered free of charge to voters, the overall price tag would be substantial — and hard to justify for a problem that isn’t actually occurring.
California is home to more than 27 million eligible voters, making it the largest democratic electorate in the country. At a moment when the nation is preparing to mark its 250th anniversary, we should be looking for ways to strengthen access to the ballot box — not erect new barriers.
Our state has an opportunity to model the democratic ideals this country was founded on by ensuring that every eligible Californian can vote with confidence, ease and full participation in the process.
Original source: CalMatters
