California Attorney General Rob Bonta is under fire for his office's rewording of the ballot description for a proposed voter identification law, with critics accusing the Democrat of intentionally altering the language to prejudice voters. The changes concern Proposition 39, which would require voters to present government-issued identification at polling places or provide the last four digits of an ID number when voting by mail.
Bonta's office defended the alterations in a post on X, formerly Twitter, stating that changes to ballot titles and summaries are common and legally permitted in California to provide clarity for voters. The office also noted that all nine voter-proposed initiatives on the ballot underwent similar edits this year, emphasizing the department's commitment to providing accurate and impartial information.
However, the revised description for Proposition 39 has drawn sharp criticism. Originally described as a measure that "establishes additional voter identification and citizenship verification requirements," the language was changed after the proposal qualified for the November ballot to state that it "prohibits citizens from voting unless they present government-issued identification." Critics argue this rewording misrepresents the initiative's intent and could unfairly sway public opinion.
Social media users and political organizations have voiced strong opposition. One X user stated that the rewording was not impartial and was likely to create prejudice, while another called the changes "dishonest" and a distortion of the voter ID proposition's purpose. Reform California, the organization behind Proposition 39, has decried the move as "corruption" and is reportedly exploring legal challenges, though past court decisions have largely favored the attorney general's discretion in such matters.
This controversy echoes past instances where California attorneys general have been accused of slanted ballot measure descriptions. For example, a past proposal to repeal the state's gas taxes was reportedly described as a measure that "eliminates certain road repair and transportation funding," leading to public confusion. Reform California has initiated fundraising efforts to combat what they term "this corruption."