Ballot measure · California · November 3, 2026

Proposition 39

Title as the state lists it: Prohibits Citizens from Voting Unless They Present Government-Issued Identification. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.1,2,3,4

Research draftCitizen initiativeConstitutional amendment
How it got there
Citizen initiative
Kind of measure
Constitutional amendment
To pass
A majority of the votes on it
Researched
October 27, 2026

Research draft. We gathered this from official sources on October 27, 2026: election offices, state laws and court records, each linked to its source. Separate reviewers checked a random sample of 48 facts from the ballot-measure research against the cited sources and found no errors. The rest hasn't been reviewed fact by fact yet, so check the linked source before relying on anything here.

§1What your vote means

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

A yes vote

A yes vote would amend the state constitution to require voters to show government-issued identification to vote in person and to write the last four digits of a chosen government-issued identification number on mail ballot envelopes, to have the state offer free voter identification cards, and to require yearly reports on verifying voters’ citizenship.3,4

A no vote

A no vote would keep the current rules, under which voters identify themselves by signing the roster at a polling place or signing their mail ballot envelope, with no new identification number or card requirement and no new citizenship reporting.3,4

§2How it got on the ballot

Citizen initiative. Voters proposed it by signing a petition.1,2,3,4

Constitutional amendment. It would change the state constitution.1,2,3,4

It is on California's list of statewide measures for November 3, 2026.1,2,5 One of these official sources itself calls the list certified or final. What we couldn't confirm about the list is in the notes on California's measures.

§3What it needs to pass

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

A majority of the votes on it. An initiative passes if more voters vote yes than no on it.6,7 Where in the source: Initiative Guide ch. IV, p. 17 (PDF p. 22), citing Cal. Const. art. II, § 10(a)