Republicans are accusing California’s Democrat Attorney General Rob Bonta of “rigging” the 2026 election voter ID ballot initiative after he made a sneaky change to the measure’s wording.
Proposition 39 made its way to California’s 2026 ballot, which would require voters to prove citizenship when registering to vote.
When grassroots organizers were gathering signatures last year, Rob Bonta issued a title and bullet points to describe the initiative.
However, with just months to go until the November election, Bonta made radical changes to the ballot initiative’s title and wording in an effort to destroy the measure.
Republican California Assemblyman and chairman of Reform California, Carl DeMaio, said the title change could sway voters.
“The ballot title is being manipulated to try to encourage people to vote no, to scare voters away. They’re trying to falsely claim that citizens would be prohibited from voting,” Carl DeMaio said on Wednesday.
“It is so illegitimate. It is so corrupt. It is so dishonest what this attorney general has decided to do, because he does not support this initiative,” DeMaio said.
BREAKING: CA Politicians change ballot title on Prop 39 Voter ID Initiative – trying to RIG ELECTION!
Read our full release: pic.twitter.com/LtUy4ui6Q6— Carl DeMaio (@carldemaio) July 21, 2026
Here are the changes via Fox 40:
Original language (Sept. 19, 2025)
ESTABLISHES ADDITIONAL VOTER IDENTIFICATION AND CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
Under current law, when registering to vote, individuals must state under penalty of perjury that they are United States citizens and provide information to verify their identity (e.g., birthdate, driver’s license or Social Security number).
This measure would amend the California Constitution to further require that:
– list voters present government-issued identification at the polls or the last four digits of a government-issued identification number when voting by mail;
– the State provide voter identification cards on request; and
– elections officials annually report percentage of each county’s voters whose citizenship they have verified.
Updated language (July 21, 2026)
PROHIBITS CITIZENS FROM VOTING UNLESS THEY PRESENT GOVERNMENT-ISSUED IDENTIFICATION. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
– Prohibits voting by mail unless voter designates a government-issued identification number for their voter registration.
– Invalidates mail ballots if envelope does not include last four digits of government-issued identification number matching the number designated in the voter’s registration (e.g., if voter designates Social Security number for registration, but provides driver’s license number on envelope, their ballot would not count).
– Prohibits voting in person without presenting government-issued identification.
– Requires elections officials to annually report percentage of each county’s voters whose citizenship status they have verified.
More on this story from Fox News:
🚨 HOLY CRAP! The Democrat Attorney General of California Rob Bonta has just been caught trying to RIG the 2026 election’s ballot initiative that would enact statewide voter ID and citizenship
Bonta inserted the words “prohibit citizens from voting” ONTO THE BALLOT 🤯
He… pic.twitter.com/UYC2ag1Ob6
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 24, 2026
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