Unique Ballot Proposal Could Bring Voter ID to California
October 14, 2026
By Thomas Callahan
On Nov. 3, 2026, voters in California will cast their ballots on a variety of proposed changes to state law. One such proposal, Proposition 39, would dramatically change election law in California.
Under current California law, voters are not required to show identification when voting in person or by mail (except when voting for the first time in a federal election or having registered to vote online or by mail). According to the California Secretary of State, over 80 percent of the ballots cast in the 2024 California General Election were cast by mail.
Proposition 39 would require that all voters provide a form of government-issued identification when voting in person. Additionally, Prop. 39 would require those who vote by mail to include the last four digits of a government-issued identification number on their ballot envelope. Prop. 39 would also require California to create a new voter identification card to be provided to citizens at no cost, available upon request.
In addition to the voter identification requirements, Prop. 39 would also require state and local election officials to verify the citizenship status of registered voters and publish a yearly report on the percentage of voters verified as citizens. While California does require that all voters be U.S. citizens, some localities, such as San Francisco and Oakland, allow noncitizens to vote in local school board elections. The proposition would also require the California State Auditor’s Office to report on state and county compliance with the measure in every odd-numbered year.
Proponents of Prop. 39 argue that requiring voter identification would bring California into compliance with the 36 other states that have adopted voter-ID laws. They also argue that Prop. 39 is a narrowly-drawn measure which will alleviate doubts in California’s elections without disenfranchising voters, as voter identification will be provided free of charge.
Prop. 39’s detractors argue the measure would impose unnecessary and costly new identification requirements on Californians, make it harder for U.S. citizens to vote, and expose voters to potential identity theft. They also argue that California’s current election framework is effective and sufficiently protects elections. The measure’s opponents also argue that Prop. 39 is part of a larger national trend of creating new barriers to voting, likening it to the SAVE Act.
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates the passage of Prop. 39 would increase state and local government spending by “tens of millions of dollars to low hundreds of millions of dollars.” However, the LAO does believe fewer people being registered to vote would result in some savings.
While conventional wisdom might suggest Prop. 39 is doomed to fail, the electoral future of the proposal is currently uncertain. A May 2026 poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed an incredibly tight race, with 49 percent of Californians supporting Prop. 39 and 51 percent opposing the measure. An August 2026 poll by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies also showed a close contest, with 42 percent of voters supporting the measure, 51 percent of voters opposing the measure, and 7 percent of voters undecided. The poll also highlighted the partisan division surrounding the measure. 80 percent of Democrats opposed Prop. 39, while 93 percent of Republicans supported the proposition. Voters unaligned with either major party tended to oppose the measure 54 percent to 36 percent.
The Berkeley IGS poll also highlighted age, gender, and racial disparities. Prop. 39 saw its highest support among voters aged 40 to 64, while it saw its highest opposition from voters aged 18 to 39. There was also a gender disparity, with men supporting Prop. 39 more than women by 10 percentage points. There was a similar racial disparity, with White voters supporting Prop. 39 more than Black voters by 12 percentage points.