Californians to Vote on Voter ID Measure

0:00California's could soon vote on whether to flash some ID at the polls next time. A ballot measure backed by Republicans just cleared the signature hurdle with over 962,000 valid ones, qualifying it for the November General Election ballot, according to the Secretary of State's office. The proposal hits both in-person and mail-in voting. You'd need government-issued ID to cast your ballot, or jot down the last four digits of it on your mail envelope. It also pushes counties to report yearly on how many voters they verified as citizens, and it'd offer free voter ID cards to anyone eligible who asks. Opponents from civil rights and voting rights groups say this could block folks already facing barriers, especially with ID numbers on mail ballots, risking privacy leaks. Right now, California doesn't require ID to vote, except sometimes for first-timers, though you do give ID or Social Security when registering. Polling shows the state's split on this. A recent survey had most folks okay with ID for first-time registration, but evenly divided

1:05on showing it every time strong support from Republicans. At 78%, heavy opposition from Democrats, even regular voters lean against this slightly. Nationally, it's echoing pushes like those from President Trump for stricter rules, while California is one of 14 states without routine voter. ID. With the measure locked in and less pulled, eyes are on how voters weigh security against access come November 3rd. You've been listening to California News today, AI-powered local news.