California AG Bonta Accused of Bias Over Voter ID Wording

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is facing accusations of bias and potential legal action after his office rewrote the official title and summary for a voter identification initiative that will appear on the November 2026 ballot. The revised language, released on July 21, 2026, has drawn sharp criticism from the measure's supporters, who argue it is designed to sway voters against the proposal.

The initiative, Proposition 39, would require voters to present government-issued identification at polling places or provide the last four digits of an ID number when voting by mail. It would also require the state to provide voter ID cards upon request and mandate that election officials annually report the percentage of each county's voters whose citizenship has been verified. The measure qualified for the ballot after supporters gathered more than 1.3 million signatures using a title and summary issued by Bonta's office in 2025, which read: "Establishes Additional Voter Identification and Citizenship Verification Requirements."

The new language, published in a draft voter guide by Secretary of State Shirley Weber's office, is markedly different. The title now states: "Prohibits...