Avoter ID initiative going to California votersthis fall is presenting a thorny situation for California’s top elections officials.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber — both Democrats — held a news conference in Sacramento to call on people to report incidents of voter fraud, intimidation, and interference ahead of theJune 2 primary, while treading carefully on the issue of voter ID.
Weber, whose office would be responsible for implementing the voter ID measure if approved, reiterated her longstanding opposition to such requirements.
“I don’t know if it’d be helpful,” Weber said.
“I’ve never been in favor of voter ID because of the things that it purports to do — we already do. In terms of making sure that we know who’s registered to vote and they’ve got proper ID and so forth and so on.”
Attorney General Rob Bonta, also a Democrat, sidestepped talking about his position on the issue, instead saying his office is preparing the official title and summary for the voter ID measure that will appear on ballots this November.
“We have a solemn duty and role to make sure that all propositions are written — in the title and summary — in a way that is understandable, is accurate, is comprehensive, is clear to the voters,” Bonta said.
“So that is my role, and that’s what I will be doing with respect to that.”
The ballot initiative — backed by Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) — would require voters to present government-issued identification at in-person polling places and provide identifying information when casting mail ballots.
DeMaio, a longtime critic of California’s election system, has argued the measure is needed to restore public confidence and align the state with what he describes as common-sense safeguards already used elsewhere in the country.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
