Proposition 39 explained: What voters should know about California's voter ID measure
LOS ANGELES -- California voters will decide on Proposition 39, the voter ID measure appearing on the November ballot.
California currently requires voters to verify their identity when registering to vote. Prop. 39 would require voters to provide identification not only when registering to vote, but also when casting a ballot.
Prop. 39 would require voters to present a government-issued ID when voting in person. Voters casting ballots by mail would be required to write the last four digits of a government-issued ID or the last four digits of their Social Security number on the outside of their ballot envelope. The measure would also require election officials to maintain voter registration lists and verify citizenship.
The measure is backed by the California Republican Party. Supporters argue the measure would improve election security and increase public confidence in the voting process.
"ID is required for so many things that we do in life, to open a bank account, to drive a car... The list goes on and on for the number of reasons Californians are required to show their ID every single day," said Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the California Republican Party.
"And to say that showing their ID for one more thing is something that would be disenfranchising, again, I think it's hypocritical."
Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for governor of California, has previously suggested voter ID would speed up ballot counting.
"Our signatures, especially in the digital age, can vary enormously," Hilton said. "And so you've got people peering at signatures trying to figure out what's meant by it, whereas a Social Security number is much more simply verifiable. And again, I think we can use automation here, and so we need to be looking at ways to speed up the process."
Democrats say Prop. 39 would discourage people from voting. If you recently married and changed your name, Prop. 39 could impact you.
"If they didn't remember to also change their name for purposes of registration, they may have registered with a maiden name and now are going to vote with a married name, and guess what? Prop. 39 would block their vote," said Xavier Becerra, the Democratic candidate for governor of California.
California Sen. Adam Schiff also criticized the proposal.
"If they use the wrong form of ID, then their vote might not count if it doesn't match what's on file. This is a solution in search of a problem," Schiff said. "It's already illegal to vote if you're not an eligible voter, so this is just again designed to cut off people's right to vote. It's part of this whole national disenfranchisement effort."
In an interview with Eyewitness News, Rankin said she believes voter ID should be a non-partisan issue and argued the measure could boost voter confidence and participation.
"I think we might see more voter turnout actually and probably sooner," Rankin said.
The California Republican Party has argued Prop. 39 would speed up vote counting in California. But it's unclear how because county registrars interviewed by Eyewitness News said it could take longer to verify partial Social Security numbers written on ballots than the current signature-verification system.
