Supporters of a California voter identification initiative have lost a legal challenge aimed at preventing Attorney General Rob Bonta's office from altering the ballot language for Proposition 39. A Sacramento Superior Court judge ruled Thursday that the revised description is accurate, dismissing claims that the new wording is designed to mislead voters.
Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a proponent of Proposition 39, criticized the ruling, accusing state officials of attempting to manipulate the vote. "These politicians know that they can’t win a fair vote on Prop 39’s bipartisan solution for voter ID because it has supermajority support from California voters," DeMaio stated. He further alleged that the state is attempting to "deceive voters by putting a false ballot title on it."
The initiative initially qualified for the November ballot with language stating it "establishes additional voter identification and citizenship verification requirements." However, Bonta's office subsequently changed the description to "Prohibits citizens from voting unless they present government-issued identification."
The Yes on 39 campaign filed a lawsuit, arguing that the revised wording was inaccurate and violated California law, which requires the attorney general to provide a "true and impartial statement of the purpose of the measure." The judge disagreed, finding the ballot description to be accurate and Bonta's actions to be lawful.
"Today’s ruling confirms what we have said from the start: the ballot materials at issue — the ballot title and summary and ballot label — give a true and impartial statement on Proposition 39’s chief purpose and points," Bonta said in a statement. "My office followed the law and fulfilled its duty to provide California voters with clear, accessible, and accurate information. We’re pleased that the court agreed with us."
The dispute over the ballot measure has already seen significant fundraising and is anticipated to be a contentious electoral battle. An April poll from UC Berkeley indicated that while 56% of voters initially supported the measure, that figure dropped to 39% after voters heard arguments for and against it, with 52% expressing opposition.
Supporters of Proposition 39 contend that the current ballot description omits crucial aspects of the initiative, specifically the new responsibilities it places on state and county officials for maintaining accurate voter rolls and verifying citizenship. They maintain that "voters deserve a ballot description that is accurate and impartial," regardless of whether they support or oppose the measure.