California voters on Tuesday rejected Proposition 39, an initiative that sought to implement stricter voter identification requirements at polling places and enhance verification for mail-in ballots. The measure failed, with approximately 60% of voters opposing it, according to Associated Press data as about half of the votes were tallied.
Proposition 39 was championed by Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio and his organization, Reform California, who advocated for the changes as a means to bolster election integrity. DeMaio stated his commitment to continuing the push for voter ID laws, asserting that they are common sense and bipartisan.
The initiative qualified for the November ballot earlier in the year, sparking a debate over election security in the state. In October, Joseph Gebbia, a co-founder of Airbnb and former Democrat, contributed $8 million to the campaign, providing a significant financial boost. The measure attracted substantial funding from out-of-state donors who viewed California as a potential testing ground for stricter voter ID measures in a Democratic-led state.
However, the proposal faced strong opposition from Democrats, who linked it to former President Donald Trump. This opposition was amplified amid ongoing legal disputes between the Trump administration and California officials concerning allegations of noncitizen voting and the state's refusal to participate in federal voter roll audits. The Trump administration's emergency request to the Supreme Court to set aside mail-in ballots sent to noncitizens was denied by Justice Elena Kagan.
Federal prosecutors have brought charges against 28 individuals for alleged violations of federal election laws. Prior to the vote, recent polling indicated a decline in support for Proposition 39, falling below the 50% threshold.
Further complicating the measure's path was a dispute over its official ballot wording. California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office revised the summary to state that the proposal "prohibits citizens from voting unless they present government-issued identification." Supporters accused Bonta's office of intentionally framing the measure negatively to hinder its chances of passing. Bonta's office defended the changes as routine and aimed at providing clarity to voters about the initiative's primary objectives.