Contest 8 of 14
Proposition 39
Prohibits Citizens from Voting Unless They Present Government-Issued Identification. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Fiscal Impact
Short Term
State and local governments pay tens of millions to low hundreds of millions of dollars a year to run the new voting ID rules.
Long Term
Same range every year — these are ongoing costs, not one-time.
Social Impact
- In-person voters must present government-issued identification, and mail ballots count only if the envelope shows the last four digits of the ID number designated in the voter's registration.
- Elections officials must use government data to verify registered voters' citizenship status and report each year the share of each county's voters whose status has been verified.
- Supporters say the identification requirements will increase trust in elections and voter participation, with a free state voter ID card available on request.
- Opponents say the requirements will add hurdles that block eligible citizens from voting and put voters' personal information at risk of identity theft.
A YES vote means:
You must show government ID to vote in person, and a mail ballot does not count unless its envelope has the last four digits of the same ID number you put on your voter registration.
A NO vote means:
Voting rules stay as they are now: your signature, not an ID, is what verifies who you are.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Costs of between tens of millions of dollars and low hundreds of millions of dollars each year to implement new voting requirements.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide