California
Prop 39Prohibits Citizens from Voting Unless They Present Government-Issued Identification
What your vote does
A YES vote means
In-person voters must show government ID. To vote by mail, voters must pick an ID; ballots count only if envelopes show its last four digits. 2
A NO vote means
Voters keep identifying themselves by signing. In-person voters typically sign a list of voters, and mail voters sign their ballot envelope. 3
Both ovals are empty on purpose. The choice is yours.
Prohibits Citizens from Voting Unless They Present Government-Issued Identification. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. Invalidates mail ballots that do not have last four digits of designated government-issued identification number written on envelope. Prohibits in-person voting without presenting government-issued identification. Fiscal Impact: Costs of between tens of millions of dollars and low hundreds of millions of dollars each year to implement new voting requirements. Supporters: The Transparency Foundation; Latino American Political Assn; Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn; CA Women’s Leadership Assn Opponents: ACLU California Action; Common Cause; League of Women Voters of California
This is the exact wording from the official voter guide.
If it fails
Nothing changes if it fails
If Prop 39 fails, voting rules stay as they are. The Legislative Analyst (LAO) says voters in person typically sign a list. Officials generally do not check those signatures, but they do check mail ballot envelope signatures. 3
Why it’s on the ballot now
Every registered voter in California gets a mail ballot. In November 2024, about 13 million of the about 16 million voters used one. 3
Officials check signatures on mail ballots before counting them. They generally do not check signatures of in-person voters. 3
Today, a voter's identity is set when they register, using a driver's license number, state ID number, or last four digits of a Social Security number. 3
Voters in state and federal elections must be citizens, and officials must remove ineligible voters. Prop 39 requires "best efforts," using government data, to verify citizenship, with yearly county reports. 32
The measure's own findings, which argue for it, say it aims to build trust in elections and to deter and detect voter fraud. 5
The money
The Legislative Analyst (LAO) estimates costs of tens of millions to low hundreds of millions of dollars a year, under 0.25 percent of the state's General Fund. Any savings likely would not exceed the costs. Costs depend on later choices, such as the design of the free voter ID card and how many cards are requested. See the money chart for the latest filed totals. 3
- Amount
- Tens of millions to low hundreds of millions of dollars a year
- How long
- Ongoing, every year
- Who pays
- State and local governments would pay the costs. The state must give a free voter ID card to any voter who asks for one. 3
Who bears the cost
State and local governments
What they already pay
- County elections officials already run most elections, including printing and mailing ballots. 3
If it passes
- The LAO estimates Prop 39 would add state and local costs of tens of millions to low hundreds of millions of dollars each year. That is under 0.25 percent of the state General Fund. The exact cost depends on future choices. 3
- The LAO says there could be savings from fewer people registered to vote, for example from removing ineligible voters or eligible voters who lack government ID. It says these savings likely would not exceed the costs. 3
VotersNo new cost
If it passes
Who’s behind it
How it got on the ballot: Citizen petition
The ballot label calls it an "Initiative Constitutional Amendment." The legal text says this initiative measure "is submitted to the people" under Section 8 of Article II of the California Constitution. 15
Where the support comes from
Placed by who endorsed it and who funded it, not by our opinion. How we place measures
The California Republican Party and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association recommend Yes on Prop 39, while the California Democratic Party recommends No. The ACLU of Northern California, a civil rights group, the California Teachers Association, a labor organization, and the League of Women Voters of California also oppose it. The largest donors to the committee supporting Prop 39 are Richard Uihlein and Joseph Gebbia. The largest donors to committees opposing it are the California Democratic Party and The Tribal Council of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. 786911101213
Endorsements
| Group | YES | NO | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive slate | |||
| San Francisco League of Pissed Off Voters | No | ||
| Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club | No | ||
| Moderate slate | |||
| GrowSF | No | ||
| Political parties | |||
| San Francisco Democratic Party | No | ||
| San Francisco Green Party | No | ||
| California Democratic Party | No | ||
| California Republican Party | Yes | ||
| Labor | |||
| California Teachers Association | No | ||
| Other groups | |||
| SPUR | No | ||
| San Francisco Women's Political Committee | No | ||
| Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club | No | ||
| Edwin M. Lee Asian Pacific Democratic Club | No | ||
| Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association | Yes | ||
| ACLU of Northern California | No | ||
| League of Women Voters of California | No | ||
Follow the money
YESTop donors
- Richard Uihlein$17M
- Joseph Gebbia$8M
- Reform California with Carl De Maio - Ballot Measure Committee$3.2M
- Nicole Shanahan$370K
- Perfect One Capital$300K
- Cameron Winklevoss$250K
- Tyler Winklevoss$250K
- Stark Industrial LLC$250K
- Douglas Leone$250K
Who is this?
- Aubrey Chernick$150K
- The top 5 donors gave 79% of this side’s money.
- 81% came from outside California.
- Independent spending (not controlled by the campaign): $1.9M
Committees: Californians for Voter ID, Yes on 39
NOTop donors
- California Democratic Party$6.1M
- The Tribal Council of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria$2M
- M. Quinn Delaney$1.5M
Who is this?
Quinn Delaney is a real estate investor and a philanthropist. 1
- Patty Quillin$1.5M
- California Nurses Association Initiative PAC$1.1M
Who is this?
A committee named for the California Nurses Association. A National Nurses United web page says the association has more than 100,000 members in California. 1
Their stake
The president of the California Nurses Association signed the official rebuttal to the argument in favor of Prop 39. It says Prop 39 adds extra hurdles for citizens. 2
From public records, not their own explanation.
- SEIU California State Council for Working People$1.1M
- California Teachers Association/
Issues PAC$987.3K Who is this?
Issues PAC of the California Teachers Association, a teachers' union based in Burlingame, California, with over 300,000 members. 1
- Dignity CA Service Employees International Union SEIU Local 2015$987.3K
Who is this?
Issues PAC of SEIU Local 2015. The union's website says it represents more than half a million long-term care workers in California, in home care, nursing facilities and assisted living. 1
What they’ve said
The union says voter ID would lower turnout and create barriers for eligible voters. It also says the measure would make it “even harder for SEIU to elect pro-worker champions.” 2
- Reed Hastings$987.3K
- Committee to Engage and Empower California Voters$792.4K
Who is this?
A California committee. It says it was formed in 2020 to register new voters and to give them the tools they need to vote. 1
- The top 5 donors gave 39% of this side’s money.
- 6% came from outside California.
- Independent spending (not controlled by the campaign): $203.9K
Committees: Black Californians for Thriving Communities-Yes on Prop 3, No on Props 39 & 43, Sponsored by California Black Power Network Action Fund; Californians for Yes on 3 and No on 39, Sponsored by California Immigrants in Action; Citizens for a Just California - No on 39, Sponsored by Higher Wages Lower Rent Alliance; Communities for an Affordable California, Yes on 3, No on 39 and 43 Sponsored by Million Voters Project Action Fund; No on 39 - Block Election Rigging Sponsored by Nurses, Teachers, and Nonprofit Labor and Community Health Clinic Organziations; No on Prop 39 - Californians for Voting Rights, Sponsored by California Donor Table & ACLU of Northern California; No on Prop 39 - VoteRiders Committee; United Against Prop. 39 - - Stop the Rig Sponsored by Nonprofit Labor and Civil Rights Organizations; Working Families for a Better Central Coast- Yes on Prop 3, No on Prop 39, Sponsored by Unidos 805 Action Fund; Working People in Supporting of Prop 3 and in Opposition of Prop 39, 43 and 45, Sponsored by Los Angeles County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO
- Californians for Voter ID, Yes on 39: added $73,500 of 24-hour late contributions dated after the Secretary of State's 2026-10-22 cutoff.
- YES side independent expenditures (Form 496) of $1,879,893, mostly by: Reform California with Carl DeMaio - Ballot Measure Committee $1,611,559; REPUBLICAN PARTY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY $105,488; Assembly Member David Tangipa for California - Ballot Measure Committee $72,744. Separate from total_raised.
- Citizens for a Just California - No on 39, Sponsored by Higher Wages Lower Rent Alliance (FPPC 1497488) supports or opposes several measures; the Secretary of State attributes $50,000 of its $100,000 to this one. Donor amounts here are scaled by that same share (50%).
- Communities for an Affordable California, Yes on 3, No on 39 and 43 Sponsored by Million Voters Project Action Fund (FPPC 1496598) supports or opposes several measures; the Secretary of State attributes $1,164,062 of its $2,412,491 to this one. Donor amounts here are scaled by that same share (48%).
- No on 39 - Block Election Rigging Sponsored by Nurses, Teachers, and Nonprofit Labor and Community Health Clinic Organziations (FPPC 1493991) supports or opposes several measures; the Secretary of State attributes $19,820,078 of its $20,074,382 to this one. Donor amounts here are scaled by that same share (99%).
- No on 39 - Block Election Rigging Sponsored by Nurses, Teachers, and Nonprofit Labor and Community Health Clinic Organziations: added $996,177 of 24-hour late contributions dated after the Secretary of State's 2026-10-22 cutoff.
- No on Prop 39 - Californians for Voting Rights, Sponsored by California Donor Table & ACLU of Northern California (FPPC 1489007) supports or opposes several measures; the Secretary of State attributes $4,809,410 of its $4,839,060 to this one. Donor amounts here are scaled by that same share (99%).
- No on Prop 39 - Californians for Voting Rights, Sponsored by California Donor Table & ACLU of Northern California: added $9,747 of 24-hour late contributions dated after the Secretary of State's 2026-10-22 cutoff.
- United Against Prop. 39 - - Stop the Rig Sponsored by Nonprofit Labor and Civil Rights Organizations (FPPC 1495206) supports or opposes several measures; the Secretary of State attributes $7,051,189 of its $12,995,661 to this one. Donor amounts here are scaled by that same share (54%).
- NO side: $3,748,350 given by one committee on this side to another was counted once.
- NO side independent expenditures (Form 496) of $203,887, mostly by: Faith Votes, Sponsored by PICO California Action Fund $88,183; Committee to Save Our Neighborhoods, Sponsored by Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action $56,500; CALIFORNIA FOR ALL OF US - MCKINNOR BALLOT MEASURE COMMITTEE $14,850. Separate from total_raised.
- Committee totals are the Secretary of State's per-measure 'Total Reported Contributions' through 2026-10-22 (secretary of state page), plus later 24-hour reports from the Cal-Access bulk export built 2026-10-28. Donors, geography and independent expenditures come from the itemized Cal-Access filings. Contributions to committees that back several measures are credited pro rata to the share the Secretary of State assigns to this measure.
- Source cutoff: the Cal-Access export used was built 2026-10-27 (UTC) and the Secretary of State's per-measure totals run through 2026-10-22. as_of is the latest filing from this measure's own committees, which can be earlier.
- Money given to a committee by another committee is shown as that committee, not the money's original source (e.g. a union's issues PAC, not its members). Donor type is inferred from the name; check the filing for sponsors.
Sources: CA Secretary of State: Proposition 39 contribution totals · Cal-Access raw campaign finance data export · FPPC Top 10 Contributors, November 2026 General Election
The strongest case for and against
Each side’s best argument, written as its supporters would make it. Neither is our view.
Strongest case for
Supporters include the Transparency Foundation, the Latino American Political Association, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the California Women's Leadership Association. They say voter ID would build trust in elections and is backed by Democratic, Independent and Republican voters. They say mail ballots stay, and any voter can get a free ID. They argue today's signature checks are slow and can keep votes from being counted. They say more than 100,000 ballots were rejected for signature mismatches in the last election. Supporters say Prop 39 improves the accuracy of voter lists and requires independent audits; the LAO says it could mean fewer registered voters, for example through removal of ineligible voters or of eligible voters without government ID. They also say voter ID states have not seen lower turnout. 143
Strongest case against
Opponents include ACLU California Action, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters of California and Senator Alex Padilla. They say one wrong digit could void a valid ballot. Mail voters must pick an ID; opponents say otherwise they may not get a mail ballot at all. They say a "free" ID costs travel, time off work and paperwork; seniors, students, low-income workers, voters of color and women who changed names at marriage fare worst. They say officials already verify voters; the LAO says mail ballot signatures are checked, but generally not in-person ones. Opponents say Texas threw out 12 times more mail ballots than California under such a rule, it could cost hundreds of millions yearly, and envelope ID numbers risk identity theft. They link it to Trump's election claims. 143
Sources
Every fact on this page links to one of these sources.
- Ballot label: title (table of contents) and summary (Quick Reference Guide), Proposition 39 (en edition), CA Official Voter Information Guide, Nov 3, 2026, p. 3, 8
- Proposition 39: Official Title and Summary (prepared by the Attorney General), CA Official Voter Information Guide, Nov 3, 2026, p. 1
- Proposition 39: Analysis by the Legislative Analyst, CA Official Voter Information Guide, Nov 3, 2026, p. 1-4
- Proposition 39: Arguments and rebuttals, CA Official Voter Information Guide, Nov 3, 2026, p. 5-6
- Proposition 39: Text of Proposed Law, CA Official Voter Information Guide, Nov 3, 2026, p. 1-2
- California Democratic Party: recommendations for the November 3, 2026 election
- California Republican Party: recommendations for the November 3, 2026 election
- Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association: recommendations for the November 3, 2026 election
- ACLU of Northern California: recommendations for the November 3, 2026 election
- League of Women Voters of California: recommendations for the November 3, 2026 election
- California Teachers Association: recommendations for the November 3, 2026 election
- How endorsers line up on Prop 39: this guide's coalition groupings (endorsement method 1.0, data as of 2026-10-27)
- Campaign finance filings as of 2026-10-26 (compiled by this guide from CA Secretary of State: Proposition 39 contribution totals; data/money/ca-2026-11-p39.json, main@0dcbec8)