Voter ID Is On The Ballot In California And North Carolina, And The Two Measures Work Very Differently

Two voter ID measures are on the ballot Tuesday, November 3, with California voters deciding Proposition 39 and North Carolina voters deciding whether to write a photo ID requirement for all voters into the state constitution.

Proposition 39 would amend the California Constitution to require voters to show government issued ID every time they vote, according to LAist’s voter guide. People voting by mail would have to write the last four digits of a government ID number on the ballot envelope, and ballots without them would be invalidated, CalMatters reported. Election officials would also have to use their best efforts to check voter rolls against government data to verify citizenship and report the share verified each year. California requires an ID card and Social Security number to register but does not ask for ID at polling places now, according to CalMatters.

The official ballot language estimates the cost at between tens of millions of dollars and low hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The state would offer free state ID cards to eligible voters who lack other government issued ID, LAist reported. A majority of voters is needed for it to pass.

Supporters include the California Republican Party, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton and U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, a Republican. CalMatters reported that supporters argue ID requirements will strengthen trust in elections and note that most states require some form of ID. Opponents include the California Democratic Party, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, the California Labor Federation, the UCLA Voting Rights Project, the ACLU and the League of Women Voters. They argue it would make voting harder for eligible people without a driver’s license or other documents, especially people with disabilities, low income voters and recent movers, according to CalMatters.

North Carolina already requires photo ID to vote in person. The amendment there would extend that requirement to mail ballots and put it in the state constitution, according to WUNC. Because it is a constitutional amendment, it needed three fifths of each chamber of the legislature, skipped the governor and went straight to voters. Rep. Mike Schietzelt, a Wake County Republican, told WUNC it strengthens security as mail voting has grown since the pandemic. Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Guilford County Democrat, called it an unnecessary hurdle and warned it would be hard to undo once it is in the constitution. WUNC reported that Democrats more broadly worry it could create obstacles, especially for Black voters.

The North Carolina amendment is one of three on that state’s ballot. The others would cap the state income tax rate at 3.5 percent and require limits on local property tax increases, WUNC reported.

Neither of the sources reviewed gave an effective date for the voter ID measures. Voters can confirm what ID they need on Tuesday with the California secretary of state’s office or the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Dee Dee Henderson

Dee Dee Henderson is a Poli Alert journalist covering national politics, elections and the policies that hit closest to home for Black communities, from voting rights and the economy to the courts. She reports the facts first and isn't afraid to say what they mean, and her commentary pieces are clearly labeled as opinion. Her midterm coverage breaks down deadlines, ballot measures and the races that will decide who holds power in Washington.

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