Overview
- The Attorney General's Office updated the title and summary for Proposition 39 in the state draft voter guide on Tuesday, replacing the circulating wording with a new title that reads, “Prohibits citizens from voting unless they present government‑issued identification.”
- Bonta's office says post‑qualification edits to circulating titles are routine and within its legal discretion and that all nine voter‑proposed initiatives saw changes this year.
- Prop 39’s underlying text would still require in‑person voters to show government ID, require last four digits for mail ballots, obligate the state to provide free voter ID cards on request, and require county reporting on citizenship verification.
- Supporters and Republican lawmakers say the revised summary omits the free ID provision and uses charged language that could change voter perceptions, and they are exploring legal challenges while pressing legislative fixes.
- The episode revives a long‑running debate over giving an elected, partisan attorney general power to write concise ballot descriptions, with critics pointing to past AG edits and urging transfer of that authority to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.