A California voter ID initiative backed by Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio has qualified for the 2026 election.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A ballot initiative to require people to present identification when casting their votes has qualified for the 2026 General Election.

According to the California Secretary of State’s Office, the initiative, spearheaded by Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, would require voters to present either a government-issued ID or the last 4 digits of a government-issued ID number.



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The state would need to provide voter identification cards upon request, and elections officials would be tasked with annually reporting the percentage of each county’s voters whose citizenship has been verified.

Requiring identification has been widely debated across the country. Republicans argue that requiring identification will strengthen election integrity, while Democrats argue that it will dissuade voters from participating in elections by creating unnecessary barriers.

Nationwide, President Donald Trump has called for a nationwide voter identification requirement through his SAVE America Act. The legislation has passed through the House of Representatives but has been held up in the Senate.

In 2025, DeMaio attempted to pass the proposal through the legislature, but the bill died in its first committee hearing. He then opted for the ballot process, launching a statewide tour to gather signatures.

Today, the Secretary of State’s Office sent out a notice to County Clerks certifying that the initiative has received the necessary 962,106 signatures and has qualified for the Nov. 3 General Election.

In the notice, the office said the Secretary of State will certify the initiative on June 25, and it will be placed on the ballot.

According to the Secretary of State, the Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance estimate a one-time cost in the tens of millions to prepare for implementation, which could grow to the hundreds of millions for continued implementation.

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