A voter ID initiative going to California voters this fall is presenting a thorny situation for California’s top elections officials.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber — both Democrats — held a news conference in Sacramento to call on people to report incidents of voter fraud, intimidation, and interference ahead of the June 2 primary, while treading carefully on the issue of voter ID.
Weber, whose office would be responsible for implementing the voter ID measure if approved, reiterated her longstanding opposition to such requirements.
“I don’t know if it’d be helpful,” Weber said.
“I’ve never been in favor of voter ID because of the things that it purports to do — we already do. In terms of making sure that we know who’s registered to vote and they’ve got proper ID and so forth and so on.”
Attorney General Rob Bonta, also a Democrat, sidestepped talking about his position on the issue, instead saying his office is preparing the official title and summary for the voter ID measure that will appear on ballots this November.
“We have a solemn duty and role to make sure that all propositions are written — in the title and summary — in a way that is understandable, is accurate, is comprehensive, is clear to the voters,” Bonta said.
“So that is my role, and that’s what I will be doing with respect to that.”
The ballot initiative — backed by Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) — would require voters to present government-issued identification at in-person polling places and provide identifying information when casting mail ballots.
DeMaio, a longtime critic of California’s election system, has argued the measure is needed to restore public confidence and align the state with what he describes as common-sense safeguards already used elsewhere in the country.
“If California is already doing everything voter ID is supposed to accomplish, then there should be no objection to putting those protections clearly into law,” DeMaio told The Post.
“Californians have lost confidence in our election system because politicians dismiss legitimate concerns instead of addressing them.”
A poll last month by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that 56% of California voters supported requiring ID at the polls when presented with a basic description of the policy. That’s a sharp jump from polling earlier this year, with support including 92% of Republicans, 57% of independents, and just 35% of Democrats.
Support for the measure dropped precipitously, however, when poll respondents were told that voter ID opponents say it could block eligible voters, from 56% to 37%.
Arguments against voter ID include the potential disenfranchisement of people of color. But the survey found that people of color actually are more likely to question election integrity in California.
Only 35% of white voters called fraud a major concern, compared to 41% of Black voters, 54% of Latinos, and 45% of Asian American voters. Concern was even higher among non-English speakers.
“Our Voter ID initiative strengthens trust in elections without creating new burdens on voters — by putting responsibility on government to maintain accurate voter rolls, verify citizenship, and secure ballots,” DeMaio told The Post.
“Sacramento politicians should stop fighting the people and let voters decide.”
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a letter demanding California counties speed up vote counting for June’s election to instill confidence in the results and avoid the embarrassing, months-long delays in prior elections.
Millions will likely be spent for and against the voter ID measure, but Weber vowed to uphold the will of California voters.
“If, for whatever reason, the people of California decide that’s what they want,” she said, “my office will implement those regulations to make sure that it does not disenfranchise people.”
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