Left-wing organizations move to block California voter ID push

A coalition of left-wing organizations has launched a bid to crush an attempt to enforce voter ID in California — despite the petition heading for a ballot after getting 1.3 million signatures.

The group, which includes the American Civil Liberties Union and the League of Women Voters of California, has formed a campaign to oppose the measure.

Reform California proposed a measure across all 58 counties to “verify the identity of individuals casting ballots in our elections,” citing concerns about voter fraud.

The move has gained over 1.3 million signatures and will be submitted this week, triggering five statewide rallies to promote the initiative.

But the left-wing coalition claims it is unnecessary and designed to suppress voter turnout.

Executive director of the League of Women Voters of California Jenny Farrell said: “This voter ID measure is not about protecting voters; it is about importing the current federal administration’s election lies and intimidation tactics into California.

“It would expose voters’ sensitive personal information, create new ways to reject eligible ballots, and wrongly target voters through error-prone citizenship checks.”

Reform California aims to require voters to show photo ID at the polls, verify citizenship and maintain accurate voter rolls, citing concerns over voter fraud.

The coalition warns this could create long lines, prevent eligible voters from casting ballots, and disproportionately affect those without IDs, particularly amid name changes, frequent moves and housing instability.

California is one of only 14 states without a voter ID requirement, and more than 80% of votes in the 2024 election were cast by mail.

Other organizations in the coalition, such as California Common Cause, Asian Law Caucus, California Donor Table and Disability Rights California, are urging others to join the effort.

Brittany Stonesifer, senior voting rights and redistricting program manager for California Common Cause, added: “This measure wouldn’t just hurt voters who are already underrepresented — it would make voting harder for the vast majority of Californians who cast their ballots by mail.

“As our elections are under threat at the federal level, California must protect access to the ballot box, not block it off.”

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