California Lawmakers and Enforcers Are Hopping Mad They Are Being Asked to Enforce State Voting Laws

Resuming our series on the propositions facing California voters on the November 2026 ballot — links to previous posts at the bottom of this one — we now look at Proposition 39. While the proposition has no official name, unofficially it can be called the Unmitigated Gall Act for reasons that shall be explained forthwith. If passed, the proposition would align California with 36 other states that require prospective voters to present some form of government-issued ID before casting their ballots.

The ballot measure is unsurprisingly opposed to the max by California’s Democrat politicians such as Governor Gavin Newsom, who in televised ads has done his darndest to attempt tying the proposition to Donald Trump. This is no surprise, although a tad confusing in that a quick glance across the different states that do have voter ID reveals Trump is, in fact, the governor of exactly none of them. Nor is he on the ballot in California this time around.

At the present time, California’s registered voters are each mailed a ballot several weeks before Election Day, with the option of either mailing the ballot back on or before Election Day or dropping it off at a designated collection site. You do have the option of voting in person on Election Day. The state has actively … er, in the best interest of the people benignly discouraged such scurrilous behavior by making it über-convenient to vote by mail. Especially if you live on Skid Row in Los Angeles, as our Bob Hoge recently highlighted. The number of in-person voting locations has also been drastically cut in recent years. But it’s for your own good, Californians.

What exactly is it about Proposition 39 that makes California Democrats so hopping mad? The proposition itself is remarkably benign in that it proposes enforcement measures to ensure California follows — brace yourselves — existing state law.

To enforce existing voter qualifications, including US citizenship, established by California’s Constitution, the people hereby amend the California Constitution: (A) to promote public confidence and trust in the electoral process, which encourages civic participation and supports a healthy democracy; (B) to deter and detect voter fraud by maintaining accurate voter registration records and confirming eligibility to vote; and (C) to minimize the risk of voter impersonation by requiring proof of identity to vote.

Yes, California law clearly states that to vote in California, one must be a legal resident of the state and at least 18 years of age. Proposition 39 has the unmitigated gall to suggest maybe making sure people are voting legally. The nerve!

Democrats opposed to the law (pardon the redundancy), in addition to a media blitz against it including both paid ads and unpaid ones courtesy of the statewide lapdog media, have been hammering away at the federal government’s effort to ensure California actually follows the law by not allowing non-eligible voters to cast ballots. Our Jennifer Van Laar has nicely summarized the latest round of legal warfare waged by the state against, well, legality.

Progressives love the term “common sense” when they believe it applies to one of their sacred cows, such as gun control measures. They are far less inclined to do so when it means actual common sense. Voting is a right solely for those who qualify. California’s Proposition 39 reinforces this truth by mandating the state follow its own laws by requiring something other than a signature as proof of identity. By doing so, it greatly reduces the opportunities for voter fraud by ballot stuffing and allowing those not eligible to vote due primarily to not being legal residents of California to cast ballots illegally. Hence the suggested unofficial name. No wonder Democrats hate it so much. If Proposition 39 passes, they’ll be forced to campaign on the merits of their platform. Even the braindead Californian true to the blue boys and girls will find that an impossible pill to swallow.

Earlier:

• Proposition 1 — California State Proposition Pledges to Help Veterans Obtain Affordable Housing, Sort Of
• Proposition 2 — A Rainy Day Fund Increase, or Making a Shell Game the State's Umbrella?
• Proposition 3 — In Shocking (or Not) Development, California Asks Voters to Make Temporary Tax Increase Permanent
• Proposition 4 — California Is Asking Voters to Approve Public Financing of Political Campaigns. What Could Go Wrong?
• Proposition 5 — California's Proposition 5 Seeks to Discourage Recall Elections
• Propositions 37 & 38 — California's Proposed Assistance for First-Time Homebuyers Has More Catches Than a Cheap Sweater

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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