CA Voter ID Initiative Hits 500,000+ Signatures in Just 5 Weeks

In a record-breaking haul, the backers of the CA Voter ID Initiative have collected more than 500,000 signatures of the 874,641 they need to force the issue on the 2026 statewide ballot. As required by law, today the initiative’s proponents will file a formal certification with the CA Secretary of State’s office announcing the initial tally.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the overwhelming response of signatures in the first five weeks of our signature drive – and it proves that California voters across the political spectrum support the CA Voter ID Initiative,” said CA State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, one of the initiative’s proponents.

DeMaio’s Reform California organization is leading the volunteer signature drive and reports over 16,000 volunteers are trained and activated statewide to collect signatures.

What the CA Voter ID Initiative Does

The California Voter ID Initiative would:  

• Require voters to show a government-issued photo ID when voting in person  

• Require voters to include the last four digits of their ID number when voting by mail

• Require election officials to verify citizenship of all registered voters

• Clean up voter rolls and hold election officials accountable for accuracy

• Provide free voter ID cards to anyone who needs one.  

"Implementing a Voter ID requirement is critical in securing our elections – and this initiative reinstates trust in our democracy and ensures every legal vote is counted,” said CA State Senator Tony Strickland, one of the initiative’s proponents.

“With strong public backing and a mobilized team ready to collect the signatures needed, our job is simple: make sure voters get their say on this widely popular reform next November,” said Julie Luckey, Chairman of Californians for Voter ID and an organizational proponent of the measure.

The California Voter ID Initiative is a state constitutional amendment that requires Voter ID for casting a ballot in each election and holds state election officials accountable to verify the citizenship of registered voters and keep accurate voter rolls.