It Sure Looks Like California Democrats Are Trying to Rig the Upcoming Voter ID Initiative Vote

In this Townhall article, Amy Curtis reports that California Attorney General Rob Bonta has rewritten the ballot title of Proposition 39, the voter ID and citizenship verification initiative, in a last-minute change critics describe as a blatant attempt to rig the November election against the popular measure.

• Proposition 39 would amend the California Constitution to require voters to present government-issued identification at the polls or provide the last four digits of an ID number when voting by mail, while mandating annual citizenship verification reporting and voter roll cleanup.
• Attorney General Rob Bonta changed the official ballot title on July 21, 2026, after more than 1.3 million signatures had already forced the measure onto the ballot.
• The original September 2025 title read: “ESTABLISHES ADDITIONAL VOTER IDENTIFICATION AND CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS,” followed by a neutral description of the requirements.
• The revised title now reads: “PROHIBITS CITIZENS FROM VOTING UNLESS THEY PRESENT GOVERNMENT-ISSUED IDENTIFICATION,” framing the measure in strongly negative language.
• Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a lead proponent of the initiative, called the change a “blatant attempt to rig the November election” and said his coalition is exploring every legal avenue to challenge it.
• DeMaio noted that Bonta provided a relatively fair title when it appeared the measure might not qualify, then altered it only after citizens successfully placed it on the ballot.
• A similar last-minute title change by then-Attorney General Xavier Becerra on the 2018 gas-tax repeal initiative (Prop 6) dropped support from 65 percent to 45 percent and kept the tax in place.
• DeMaio expressed confidence that voters will still approve Prop 39 despite the biased wording, arguing the maneuver itself demonstrates why voter ID protections are needed.
• Voter ID remains overwhelmingly popular across demographic groups, including Democrats and Black voters, according to the article.

Read the full story:
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/07/22/california-dems-rigging-voter-id-vote-n2679907