ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 39

VOTER ID: A BIPARTISAN WAY TO INCREASE TRUST IN OUR ELECTIONS

Democratic, Independent, and Republican voters all agree on one thing: Voter ID is a common-sense reform to increase trust and participation in our elections. That’s why almost half the signatures to put Prop. 39 on the ballot came from Democratic and Independent voters and polls show widespread super-majority support across all political parties for Voter ID.

PROP. 39 KEEPS VOTING ACCESSIBLE AND GUARANTEES A FREE VOTER ID

Prop. 39 keeps mail ballots, extended polling hours and all other conveniences in place for voting accessibility.

Voters can use a variety of easily-obtained government IDs to vote—and this measure even guarantees every voter a FREE Voter ID if they want one.

California currently uses a slow process to check signatures on mail ballots that not only delays election results but also puts your vote at risk of not being counted if your signature is flagged as not matching. Many voters say they cannot always remember how they signed their name years ago when they first registered to vote. In the last election, more than 100,000 ballots were rejected due to signature mismatches—and more than 200,000 voters endured hassles just to get their vote to count.

VOTER ID INCREASES PARTICIPATION

Voter ID does not suppress voting—in fact it increases voter participation. Every state with Voter ID laws and free identification for eligible voters that cannot afford or access identification, has seen an increase in voting. Suppression and lower turnout happen when voters do not have trust and confidence in the integrity of the process. Voter ID gives all voters a reason to trust that their vote will matter.

PROP. 39 INCLUDES AUDITS AND CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION

Prop. 39 holds election officials accountable for keeping California’s voter lists accurate and updated. Election officials will also be required to check voter rolls to ensure only citizens are registered. Prop. 39 requires an independent audit be conducted every two years to give the public the confidence they deserve in the way our elections are conducted.

YES ON PROP. 39: FOR A NON-PARTISAN SOLUTION TO VOTER ID

Politicians and partisan organizations who oppose Prop. 39 are desperately trying to inject toxic partisanship into this debate. That’s because they benefit from unfounded election conspiracy theories and rapidly declining trust in our elections.

In contrast, supporters of Prop. 39 include solid majorities of Democratic, Republican and Independent voters and a diverse coalition including Latino American Political Association, California Women’s Leadership Association, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the Transparency Foundation, and trusted voting rights organizations. Vote YES on Prop. 39 to create a national model for implementing Voter ID in a bipartisan way.

Margit Whitlock, Democratic Coalition Chair
Californians for Voter ID
Tafa Jefferson, Republican Coalition Chair
Californians for Voter ID
Joe Green, Independent Coalition Chair
Californians for Voter ID

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 39

NO on PROP. 39—Stop Trump from rigging our elections. Don’t believe the lies. Prop. 39 MAKES VOTING HARDER, MORE EXPENSIVE, AND LESS SAFE for Californians.

PROP. 39 IS FUNDED BY MAGA RIGHTWING BILLIONAIRES. Follow the money. MAGA billionaires have spent millions spreading election lies. Republican operatives have pushed this voter suppression agenda for years. They want Trump to have unlimited power so they get more tax breaks for the rich while cutting funding to healthcare and schools for the rest of us.

California election officials already verify voters. Prop. 39 just ADDS EXTRA HURDLES for citizens. THE FACTS DON’T LIE. When Texas tried this, they threw out 12 times more mail ballots than California.

Prop. 39 creates new threats of identity theft. No citizen should have to choose between their privacy and their right to vote.

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office found that Prop. 39 could COST HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS EACH YEAR—read it for yourself. MAGA extremists want to use your taxpayer dollars to buy Trump an expensive gift: blocking eligible voters and giving the Big Lie a win in California. We won’t fall for it.

PROP. 39 TRIES TO DISTRACT US from how Trump and his billionaire friends have failed Americans. Hospitals are closing. Fire victims are still waiting for help. Groceries and housing costs are more expensive than ever. Now they want to use Prop. 39 to control our elections and avoid accountability.

NO KINGS. NO LIES. NO PROP. 39.

Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator for California
Catherine Kennedy, President
California Nurses Association
Adam Weinberger, President
California School Employees Association

ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 39

VOTE NO. Donald Trump lies about elections and uses those lies to grab power.

STOP TRUMP’S POWER GRAB. Trump wants revenge on California—he has delayed LA wildfire relief, undone laws to keep our air and water clean, and constantly attacked our immigrant friends and neighbors. Now he wants to undo our freedoms and democracy with Prop. 39. Trump’s cronies want to rig California elections so they can seize and keep control of Congress and the White House. Trump will do whatever it takes to tear apart our right to vote, dodge accountability, and hold onto authoritarian power.

CALIFORNIANS WON’T FALL FOR IT. We have a chance to fight back and stop Trump by voting NO on Prop. 39. Don’t let California become the next state where politicians pick which voters count.

WASTES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

Trump and his accomplices want California to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to chase their election lies and conspiracy theories. Californians are struggling, and Trump wants YOU to pay for his conspiracies.

PUTS YOUR IDENTITY AT RISK. Prop. 39 will make every vote by mail voter include their personal details on their return envelope—making voters easy targets for identity theft. Voters would have to choose between voting and protecting their privacy.

BLOCKS CITIZENS FROM VOTING. Prop. 39 adds new hurdles—voters would have to include a personal ID number on their ballot envelope that has to exactly match state records. Get one digit wrong, and a valid ballot could get thrown out. If you don’t take extra steps to tell officials which ID you want to use for voting—you may not get a mail ballot at all. And if the address on your ID is not up to date or your name is misspelled—your vote might be rejected.

PUSHES OUT VOTERS. “Free” state IDs aren’t free: voters still pay for transportation, time off work, and costs like childcare or getting required documents. Seniors, students, low-income workers, voters of color, and the millions of women who changed their names at marriage are hit hardest. These unfair barriers help politicians choose their voters instead of the other way around.

TRUMP LIES TO GRAB POWER. DON’T LET THOSE LIES TAKE AWAY YOUR VOTE.

PROTECT YOUR VOICE. PROTECT YOUR VOTE. VOTE NO.

Learn more at CAforVotingRights.org

David Trujillo, Executive Director
ACLU California Action
Darius Kemp, California State Director
Common Cause
Lorrel Plimier, Co-President
League of Women Voters of California

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST
PROPOSITION 39

PROP. 39 IS BIPARTISAN—NOT ABOUT DONALD TRUMP OR GAVIN NEWSOM

Prop. 39 gives California a bipartisan solution for election security. While politicians in D.C. fight over partisan control of elections, Californians can adopt our own solution: Voter ID. Opponents will claim this measure is about Donald Trump or Gavin Newsom. It isn’t. Prop. 39 is a California solution to growing mistrust in our elections. Democrats, Republicans, and Nonpartisans encourage you to reject the big-money partisan allegations and vote yes on Prop. 39 to encourage voter participation and protect our elections.

PROP. 39 IMPROVES ELECTION MANAGEMENT

Prop. 39 improves the accuracy of our voter lists and requires independent audits to strengthen election management.

VOTER ID INCREASES TRUST IN ELECTIONS

States with voter ID laws have not seen decreases in voter participation. When voters trust elections, participation increases.

YES ON PROP. 39

Opponents will claim this is about national politics or that Voter ID suppresses voters. Don’t be fooled. Prop. 39 is supported by Democrats, Republicans, and Nonpartisans, as well as men, women, young, and old—Californians across many communities.

If you believe California should strengthen trust in elections while keeping voting accessible for eligible voters, vote YES on Prop. 39 for a clean, bipartisan California solution.

Johnathan Hale, Executive Director
The Transparency Foundation
Cynthia Kaui, Executive Director
California Women’s Leadership Association
Ed Cervantes, President
Latino American Political Association