What is Prop. 39?
Bottom Line, Prop 39 is a constitutional amendment that would put up barriers to voting, potentially disenfranchising millions under the typical MAGA fear tactic of strengthening the “integrity” of our voting system.
What would Prop. 39, a constitutional amendment, do specifically?
- Require voters to present a government-issued ID for in-person voting
- Provide their last 4 digits of government-issued ID for voter registration and mail-in voting
- Require election officials to “verify citizenship attestations using government data” and report what percentage of each county’s voter rolls have been citizenship-verified
- Require the State Auditor to audit government compliance with these requirements
What’s the big deal with requiring ID to register to vote and to vote?
Potentially millions of Californians may lose their right to vote because they’d be required to re-register and may not learn of this requirement before an election deadline.
Voter ID requirements disproportionately impact voters of color, low-income people, people who have changed their names, and new citizens.
What about voter fraud? I want my elections to be safe.
California safeguards against voter fraud by verifying identity during voter registration using information such as driver’s license or Social Security records, checking signatures on mail ballots, and study after study has shown instances of in-person voter fraud that voter ID laws are designed to prevent are extremely rare.
This Republican crafted voter ID measure is like using a bazooka to kill an ant in the middle of a crowd.
Why this isn’t just about your vote:
Voter ID will reduce voter participation and create barriers for eligible voters – elderly voters, low-income Californians, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and other voters who may not have current government-issued identification. SEIU members know from knocking on doors and calling voters that even the smallest “hurdle” will cause people to stay at home instead of going to the polls.
It will make it even harder for SEIU to elect pro-worker champions.
Who supports Prop 39?
The efforts to pass Prop. 3 are led by Reform California, a group led by MAGA politician Carl DeMaio and funded by anti-union, pro-Trump wealthy donors, and the California Republican Party.
Who opposes Prop. 39?
Xavier Becerra, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, California Nurses Association, California School Employees Association, California Teachers Association, and SEIU California.