Free IDs for All: A Modest Investment in Election Integrity That Billionaires and Sacramento Can Afford

California’s election system relies on self-attestation of citizenship under penalty of perjury. Proponents of the status quo, including organizations like the Brennan Center for Justice, assert that non-citizen voting is exceedingly rare. Yet when simple, verifiable proof of citizenship or photo identification is proposed, the same voices cry “voter suppression.”

The Brennan Center’s own surveys claim that 9% to 12% of voting-age citizens lack ready access to necessary documents, with disproportionately higher rates among Black and Hispanic communities. Their data indicates that approximately 18% of Black adults and 14% of Hispanic adults in California lack a current driver’s license. Applying these figures to the state’s demographics yields an estimated 1.4 to 1.6 million individuals in these groups who could benefit from no-cost or reduced-fee identification.

The solution is straightforward and addresses the concerns raised directly: Provide free or reduced-fee IDs to those who need them. California DMV already offers identification cards at a reduced fee of $11 for qualifying low-income applicants. At this rate, serving the targeted 1.4–1.6 million individuals would cost approximately $15.4 million to $17.6 million in direct fees — a figure that rises modestly when including administrative and outreach expenses, but remains entirely manageable.

This amount is a rounding error compared to recent political spending. Billionaire Tom Steyer has poured more than $200 million of his personal fortune into his 2026 gubernatorial campaign, much of it on advertising. If Mr. Steyer and his allies truly care about removing barriers for Black and Brown communities — as their rhetoric frequently claims — then funding a statewide free ID program would represent a trivial commitment. It is time for Mr. Steyer to put his resources where his principles purportedly lie and underwrite this initiative himself.

For context, $15–18 million is less than Governor Gavin Newsom’s $20 million taxpayer-funded program to provide free diapers to new parents. It is also a minuscule fraction of the $312–$425 billion in fraud, waste, and inefficiency I have documented across major state programs in my white paper, available at www.herbmorgan.com.

California can — and must — afford both access and integrity. Pairing free identification with proof-of-citizenship requirements eliminates any credible claim of burden while restoring public confidence in our elections. Opposition to both the verification standard and the low-cost solution to address access concerns reveals priorities that do not center on trust or fairness.

As the Republican nominee for California State Controller, I call on Tom Steyer to fund this program immediately. I also urge the Legislature to pass enabling legislation without delay. Radical transparency and competent governance demand nothing less. Californians deserve elections they can trust — not circular logic that protects the system at the expense of the people.