California voters to decide on voter ID requirement this fall

Californians will vote in November on a constitutional amendment to require identification for in-person voting or an ID number on mail ballots, with county registrars verifying citizenship; the measure, led by Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, qualified for the ballot after more than 962,000 valid signatures. Supporters say it boosts election integrity and aligns California with most states, while opponents warn it could disenfranchise voters. The campaign has raised about $8.8 million, mainly from Reform California and donor Richard Uihlein; Democrats have yet to mount a strong countercampaign, and polls show a near-even split on the measure.