Prop 39 Increases Public Trust and Confidence in Our Democracy

Whether you think voter fraud is a big or small problem, Prop 39’s bipartisan solution for Voter ID will increase public trust and confidence in the election process which is important to the health of our democracy.

Prop 39 Ensures Every Vote is Counted

Prop 39 for Voter ID keeps mail in ballots so voting remains easy and puts protections in our state constitution to ensure every valid vote is counted. Prop 39 even fixes a serious problem with some mail ballots not being counted because of some voters’ signatures have changed over the years. In the last election more than 100,000 mail ballots were rejected due to signature mismatches. Prop 39 replaces that process with 4 digits from a government ID to ensure every eligible vote is counted.

Prop 39 for VOTER ID – Not the SAVE Act, but a Bipartisan Approach

Prop 39 is for Voter ID – plain and simple. But Prop 39 implements Voter ID in a bipartisan way. Prop 39 is NOT the same as the SAVE ACT proposal backed by Donald Trump and DC politicians. Instead, Prop 39 takes a more balanced approach to Voter ID. That’s why polling shows Prop 39 is supported by a super-majority of Democratic, Independent, and Republican voters.

You Can Dislike Trump and STILL Support Prop 39 for Voter ID

Politicians who oppose Prop 39 are playing partisan games to manipulate voters who dislike Trump into voting against this bipartisan solution to Voter ID. The truth is you can dislike Donald Trump and still support Voter ID. Plus, Prop 39 for Voter ID is the best way to put an end to unfounded election conspiracy theories and the partisan food fight over this issue. We should pass Prop 39 because it has common-sense reforms to improve public trust and confidence in our elections.

Read the full initiative here‍

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON PROP 39:

Polling Shows Declining Trust and Confidence in California Elections

• A healthy democracy requires the highest levels of public trust and confidence in how our elections are conducted. Unfortunately, California’s documented weak election practices and conspiracy theories have led to polls showing the lowest level of trust and confidence in our elections in decades.
• A recent poll conducted by UC San Diego’s Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections showed 13% of Democratic voters have less confidence in elections than just two years ago – with 17% of Republicans and 16% of Independent voters having less trust as well. Declining trust and confidence in elections is not a partisan problem – this is a bipartisan challenge we need to address.
• We don’t know how much or how little voter fraud is occurring – but voters still consider fraud to be a real issue. A recent Berkeley IGS poll shows 60% of California voters consider voter fraud to be a “threat” – and while 69% of Republican voters think it is a “major threat,” even 37% of Democratic voters also consider it to be a “major threat.”

Voter ID is the ONE Reform All Voter Agree on – Regardless of Party

• Voter ID is seen as a common-sense reform to restore trust and confidence among Republicans and Democrats alike. When you remove partisan framing on the issue, polling shows 68% of California voters support Voter ID – including a MAJORITY of Democrats and a Super-Majority of Independents.
• Almost half the signatures to put Prop 39 on the ballot came from Democrats and Independents.

Prop 39’s Requirements are Common-Sense Best Practices for Election Management

• Improved Maintenance of Voter Lists: Prop 39 requires better maintenance of voter rolls by government agencies. Right now, poor voter list management in California results in 2 million ballots being sent out to people who no longer live here.
• Saves Money: By cleaning up our voter rolls, Prop 39 saves money on printing and postage for ballots.
• Independent Audits for Transparency: Prop 39 requires an independent audit every two years with the results made public to provide transparency that our elections are being managed properly.
• Verify citizenship of those registering to vote. Currently, this is not being done – people register to vote by simply promising they are a citizen. Prop 39 simply requires that election officials double check citizenship status of individuals on their voter rolls using existing government databases – and without adding any document burdens on voters. Under this initiative, no voter will be required to show a birth certificate, marriage license, etc.
• Free Voter ID cards to all eligible voters. Any voter can request a Voter ID from their county registrar free of charge.
• Verify the identity of people casting ballots. Signature reviews on mail in ballots aren’t being done properly. Many signatures are accepted without proper review – and worse, over 100,000 ballots were rejected in the last two elections due to signature mismatches. Prop 39 allows signature checks to be replaced by a 4-digit ID verification using any government document of the voter’s choice. This not only ensures every eligible vote is counted – but will also make ballot processing faster.

Prop 39 Will Increase Voter Participation

• Voter ID does not suppress voting – in fact it will increase voter participation. States that have enacted Voter ID laws have seen a significant increase in voting – including among minorities and women. Many voters do not vote if they do not have trust and confidence in the integrity of the process.