More than 1.3 million people have signed a petition backing a movement that would require voters to show photo ID and verify citizenship at the polls, according to supporters behind the statewide initiative.
California Reform, the group behind the new California Voter ID Initiative, will formally submit signatures gathered across all 58 counties to officials. County Registrars of Voters will then review and verify the signatures.
Californians for Voter ID secured about 900K of the signatures, with another 400K coming from Reform CA, The Post learned.
If enough valid signatures are confirmed by the deadline in May, the measure would then make the ballot in November.
A proposed California amendment that would require voters to verify citizenship is close to the ballot. AFP via Getty ImagesIn most cases, California voters are not required to show identification to a poll worker before casting a ballot, according to the California Secretary of State.
However, first-time voters who registered by mail but did not provide a driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number on their registration form may be asked to present identification at the polls.
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The statewide signature drive lasted nearly five months after it was launched in November of last year, organizers said.
In April 2025, Democratic lawmakers in the California Legislature rejected a bill by Republican Assemblymembers Carl DeMaio and Bill Essayli that would have implemented statewide voter ID and election‑integrity requirements.
In April 2025, Democratic lawmakers in the California Legislature rejected a bill by Republican Assemblymembers Carl DeMaio (above) and Bill Essayli. APThe effort, led by DeMaio, through California Reform, describes itself as a grassroots movement aimed at countering what it calls “far-Left politicians and special interests.”
If approved by voters come November, the measure would amend the California Constitution to require photo identification to cast a ballot in every election. It would also require state election officials to verify the citizenship status of registered voters and maintain accurate voter rolls.
California is one of only 14 U.S. states to not require a voter ID.
Because the proposal seeks to amend the state constitution, supporters argue that once passed, lawmakers would be required to comply with its provisions in all future elections.
The initiative now heads into the signature verification phase, where county election officials will determine whether the campaign has met the threshold required to qualify for the statewide ballot.
In California the biggest impact of the voter ID measure would be a provision that requires voters who mail in their ballot to include the last four digits of their ID number.
More than 80% of votes cast in the 2024 election in California were mailed in — compared to about 29% nationwide.
