California Voter ID Measure Sparks Heated Debate

It's April 25th. Welcome in. This is California News Today, where local news meets AI.

Californians will vote this fall on a new voter ID measure that just qualified for the November

3rd ballot. It's a big push from Republicans, led by San Diego Assemblymember Carl Demail,

requiring folks to flash a government-issued ID every time they hit the polls.

Mail-in ballots would need the last four digits from something like a driver's license,

and election offices must check registrations fresh each vote. This comes after years of GOP

efforts to tighten rules in deep blue California. Right now, you only show ID and a social security

number when registering, no repeat checks at the ballot box. 36 states already asked for or

suggest some ID, per recent report. Supporters are hyped, calling and popular with Democrats

and Republicans alike. GOP State Senator Tony Strickland from Huntington Beach says the only

risk is getting outspent, so they're building a strong ground game. The cash flow helps,

campaigns raise $10 million in the last year, mostly seeded by Julie Lucky, mom of tech billionaire

Palmer Lucky, who sped up signature gathering for quick certification. Boating rights groups

and big labor unions are gearing up to fight back hard, arguing it'll sideline eligible voters,

especially poor folks and people, of color without easy access to those docs. With both size ramping

up, expect the heated battle through Election Day.