Local conservative leaders are rallying to place a measure on the November ballot that would require voters to prove they’re a U.S. citizen in order to vote.
Assemblymember David Tangipa, R-Fresno, and other local officials said Tuesday that proponents would soon submit 1.3 million signatures to place the Voter ID measure on the ballot. Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-Valley Center, introduced the initiative last year.
The measure comes two years after Gov. Gavin Newsom, through Senate Bill 1174, forbade local governments from requiring people to present ID to vote. Although some other states require photo ID to vote, this is the first push for California to adopt such a requirement.
“The California Voter ID initiative is a common sense and bipartisan way to restore the trust and confidence all voters should have in our election system,” Tangipa said at a news conference Tuesday. “Our measure simply holds government officials accountable to maintain accurate voter lists and verify the identity of individuals casting ballots in our election.”
Other elected leaders in support of the measure include Fresno County Supervisors Garry Bredefeld and Nathan Magsig, Clovis Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce and Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni.
The lawmakers called the effort a “nonpartisan issue” that’s garnering support from varying ends of the political spectrum, though none of the officials who spoke at the rally were Democrats.
Should the effort make it onto the ballot and pass, Tangipa said the Secretary of State and county clerk of registrars would “make the additional effort to guarantee” that people who need an ID or proper documentation to vote receive assistance.
According to Reform California, a political organization founded by DeMaio, the initiative would require people who vote by mail to provide the last four digits of their ID when mailing their ballot. People who vote in person would need to show photo ID and proof of citizenship.
Angelica Salceda, director of the ACLU of Northern California’s Democracy, Speech and Technology Project, said the measure would create unnecessary voter suppression.
“There are various verification points already in our system, from when we go to register to vote to when we go to the ballot. This is just adding an additional barrier that will make it harder for people to vote,” Salceda said.