Voter Identification, Citizenship Verification, and Registered Voter List Administration Initiative
Type: Citizen-initiated constitutional amendment
Subject: Election administration;Voter ID
Election: June 2, 2026 statewide primary
Overview
Require voters to present government-issued identification when casting ballots and require election officials to use government data to confirm voter citizenship and report verification rates
Measure Design
See also: Text of measure The initiative would add a new section to the California Constitution to require government-issued identification to vote in person or the last four digits of a unique government-issued identifying number with a mail-in ballot. The amendment would require the state to provide upon request and at no charge a voter ID card for use in casting a ballot. The initiative would also require the secretary of state and county election officials to maintain accurate voter registration lists, including verifying citizenship attestations and reporting the percentage of voter rolls that have been citizenship-verified. [1] The amendment would authorize the California State Legislature to enact laws to implement and ensure state and local compliance with the amendment. The amendment would allow citizens to seek judicial review and remedy of the state’s or any county’s compliance with the amendment. The amendment would also require the California State Auditor to audit state and county compliance, publicly report its findings, and “make recommendations for improving the integrity of elections to the public” every odd-numbered year. [1] Currently, the California Constitution requires that voters be U.S. citizens. When registering to vote, proof of citizenship is not required. Individuals who become U.S. citizens less than 15 days before an election must bring proof of citizenship to their county elections office to register to vote in that election. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury. [5]
Ballot Title
The ballot title is as follows: [6] “ Establishes additional voter identification and citizenship verification requirements. Initiative constitutional amendment. [7] ”
Petition Summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets is as follows: [6] “ Under current law, when registering to vote, individuals must state under penalty of perjury that they are United States citizens and provide information to verify their identity (e.g., birthdate, driver’s license or Social Security number). This measure would amend the California Constitution to further require that: voters present government-issued identification at the polls or the last four digits of a government-issued identification number when voting by mail; the State provide voter identification cards on request; and elections officials annually report percentage of each county’s voters whose citizenship they have verified. [7] ”
Support
Californians for Voter ID is leading the campaign in support of the ballot initiative. [9]
Supporters
Officials U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R) State Sen. Tony Strickland (R) State Rep. Carl DeMaio (R) State Rep. Bilal Essayli (R) State Rep. Alexandra Macedo (R) State Rep. David Tangipa (R) Candidates Charles Hughes (R) - Candidate for State Assembly Organizations Reform California Individuals Timothy C. Draper - Founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson Nicole Shanahan (Independent) - Candidate for Vice President (2024) Richard Uihlein - CEO of Uline Corporation
Arguments
State Rep. Carl DeMaio (R-75): “Politicians and the media will keep denying the fact that California has real problems with election integrity, but the message from the public is loud and clear in support of requiring Voter ID as the best way to restore public trust and confidence in our elections.” Julie Luckey, director of Californians for Voter ID: “Thirty-six states in the U.S. have implemented some form of voter identification requirement. Similarly, every country in Europe mandates that in-person voters present photo ID to cast their ballots. This practice is also standard in Canada, Japan, South Korea, India, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, and many other nations worldwide, spanning both developed and developing democracies. … Voter ID is simply a common-sense policy. California needs to modernize its elections to align with the vast majority of the world’s democracies. While our state leads in so many areas, it lags behind on this issue. It’s time for California to catch up and enact voter ID laws.”
Opposition
Californians for Voting Rights is leading the campaign in opposition to the ballot initiative. [10]
Opponents
Organizations ACLU of Northern California ACLU of Southern California Asian Law Caucus California Common Cause California Donor Table Courage California Disability Rights California Equality California League of Women Voters of California
Campaign Finance
See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2026 The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed , which covered through March 30, 2026 . The deadline for the next scheduled reports is July 31, 2026. Californians for Voter ID and Reform California with Carl DeMaio registered as political action committees (PACs) to support the ballot initiative. Together, the committees reported about $11.9 million in contributions. [11] Californians for Voting Rights registered as a PAC to oppose the ballot initiative. It reported more than $66,000 in contributions. [11] Cash Contributions In-Kind Contributions Total Contributions Cash Expenditures Total Expenditures Support $8,870,362.57 $3,093,193.64 $11,963,556.21 $6,682,676.15 $9,775,869.79 Oppose $50,000.00 $16,489.83 $66,489.83 $0.00 $16,489.83 Total $8,920,362.57 $3,109,683.47 $12,030,046.04 $6,682,676.15 $9,792,359.62
Donors
The following were the top donors who contributed to the support committees. [11] Donor Cash Contributions In-Kind Contributions Total Contributions Richard Uihlein $4,000,000.00 $0.00 $4,000,000.00 Steve Bray $2,500,000.00 $0.00 $2,500,000.00 Ken Calvert for Congress $300,000.00 $0.00 $300,000.00 Oxford Property Investments LLC $300,000.00 $0.00 $300,000.00 Tony Strickland for Senate 2026 $300,000.00 $0.00 $300,000.00
Polls
See also: Ballotpedia’s approach to covering polls and 2026 ballot measure polls California Voter Identification and Voter List Maintenance Requirements Initiative (2026) Poll Dates Sample size Margin of error Support Oppose Undecided UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies Question “Currently Californians are required to prove their voting eligibility when they register to vote but are not required to do so when they cast their ballot. A statewide ballot measure has been proposed that would require voters to verify their eligibility to vote when voting. This would mean that those choosing to vote in person would need to bring to the polls a government-issued identification card, while those voting by mail or using a drop box would need to list the last 4 digits of a valid voter identification card onto their ballot envelope. Do you support or oppose this new photo identification voting requirement?” April 9, 2026 – April 18, 2026 5,962 RV ± 2.00% 56.0% 39.0% 6.0% UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies Question “The California Voter ID Initiative is a proposed constitutional amendment to establish additional voter identification and citizenship verification requirements when voting in California elections. Supporters say this will add another layer of security to the state’s elections to prevent fraud and keep noncitizens from voting, while opponents say it will make it harder for citizens to find and produce the necessary documentation to be able to vote in elections. If you were voting today on the California Voter ID Initiative, would you vote Yes or No?” March 9, 2026 – March 15, 2026 5,109 RV ± 2.00% 44.0% 45.0% 12.0% Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters.