Supporters and opponents of California’s Proposition 39, a voter identification measure slated for the November 3 ballot, have clashed over claims regarding former President Donald Trump’s involvement in the initiative. The proposition would require in-person voters to present government-issued identification and mail voters to include the last four digits of an ID number on their ballots. Additionally, it mandates that state and county election officials verify registered voters’ citizenship status using government databases and publicly disclose the findings.
Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a principal author of Proposition 39 and founder of the conservative advocacy group Reform California, strongly denied assertions made during a gubernatorial debate that Trump endorsed the initiative. At the CNN-hosted debate on Wednesday, Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra claimed that Trump played a key role in pushing Proposition 39 onto the California ballot after failing to pass similar nationwide legislation, known as the SAVE America Act, through Congress.
DeMaio called Becerra’s comments “bald-face” lies and argued that the measure qualified for the ballot through the collection of over one million petition signatures from a diverse base of California voters, not because of Trump’s involvement. Meredith Shields, spokeswoman for the Yes on Prop. 39 campaign, echoed DeMaio’s sentiments, saying the opposition distorts the facts to protect political power. The White House did not respond to inquiries about Trump’s position on the measure.
Backers of Proposition 39 are supported by prominent Trump allies, including billionaire tech fundraiser Palmer Luckey’s mother, Julie Luckey, leading the group Californians for Voter ID. The campaign has also received $17 million from Richard Uihlein, CEO of the packaging supply company Uline.
Opponents contend that Trump’s influence is central to the measure. The No on Prop. 39 campaign and representatives for Becerra pointed to a March 2025 news release from Reform California that mentioned Trump’s support for “CA Voter ID” as a condition for federal funding to the state, although the release was later updated to clarify that Trump had not formally endorsed Proposition 39. Jonathan Underland, a spokesperson for Becerra’s campaign, stated that DeMaio is deliberately obscuring Trump’s connection to the initiative, which is viewed as part of a broader national agenda aligned with Trump’s efforts to impose stricter voter ID rules. State Democratic leaders, including Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, along with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, have publicly associated the proposition with Trump’s voter suppression tactics.
The debate has also involved California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, another Democrat, who criticized Proposition 39 for potentially ending the state’s widely used vote-by-mail system. Weber told a Sacramento television station that requiring everyone to present ID at the polls could disproportionately burden voters, the majority of whom prefer mail voting. DeMaio disputed Weber’s characterization, accusing her of spreading misinformation and questioning her understanding of the measure. Weber later clarified via email that the proposition could disrupt mail voting by forcing voters to disclose personal information on ballots, and a campaign spokesperson warned that the proposition’s complexities might deter some Californians from voting by mail.
As California voters prepare to decide on Proposition 39, the competing narratives highlight tensions over election integrity, voter access, and the political polarization surrounding voter ID laws at both state and national levels.