CA Voter ID initiative nets 1.3M signatures, getting issue closer to ballot

A proposed California constitutional amendment that would require voters to show photo identification and verify citizenship is one step closer to the ballot after allegedly gathering more than 1.3 million signatures statewide.

According to a release from California Reform, proponents of the CA Voter ID Initiative plan to officially submit the signatures they’ve gathered from 58 counties, triggering a mandatory validation process by each county’s Registrar of Voters.

That review must be completed by May, and if enough valid signatures are confirmed, the measure would appear before voters in November 2026.

In most cases, California voters are not required to show identification to a poll worker before casting a ballot, according to the California Secretary of State.

However, first-time voters who registered by mail but did not provide a driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number on their registration form may be asked to present identification at the polls.

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The statewide signature drive lasted nearly five months after it was launched in November of last year, organizers said.

In April 2025, Democratic lawmakers in the California Legislature rejected a bill by Republican Assemblymembers Carl DeMaio and Bill Essayli that would have implemented statewide voter ID and election‑integrity requirements.

The effort, led by DeMaio, through California Reform, describes itself as a grassroots movement aimed at countering what it calls “far-Left politicians and special interests.”

If approved by voters come November, the measure would amend the California Constitution to require photo identification to cast a ballot in every election. It would also require state election officials to verify the citizenship status of registered voters and maintain accurate voter rolls.

California is one of only 14 U.S. states to not require a voter ID.

Because the proposal seeks to amend the state constitution, supporters argue that once passed, lawmakers would be required to comply with its provisions in all future elections.

The initiative now heads into the signature verification phase, where county election officials will determine whether the campaign has met the threshold required to qualify for the statewide ballot.

In California the biggest impact of the voter ID measure would be a provision that requires voters who mail in their ballot to include the last four digits of their ID number.

More than 80% of votes cast in the 2024 election in California were mailed in — compared to about 29% nationwide.