California Voter ID Initiative Surpasses One Million Signatures, Set to Appear on November 2026 Ballot

Today, Reform California, led by California State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego), announced that they have secured more than one million signatures for a Voter ID initiative to appear on the upcoming November 2026 ballot.

The California Voter ID Initiative, filed in response to Prop. 50 which eliminated the nonpartisan redistricting commission and racially gerrymandered the state, is a state constitutional amendment that requires Voter ID for casting a ballot in each election and holds state election officials accountable to verify the citizenship of registered voters and keep accurate voter rolls.

In a press release, Reform California announced:

California’s corrupt political establishment never thought we could get the signatures, but now they better get ready for CA Voter ID to shake up their broken political system by restoring the integrity of our elections.

In a record-breaking haul, the backers of the CA Voter ID Initiative have collected more than 1 million signatures after just 90 days – but they intend to continue to collect signatures until they reach a comfortable 1.2 million haul.  874,641 valid signatures are needed to force the issue on the 2026 statewide ballot – and extra signatures are needed to fully ensure the measure has more than enough valid signatures to qualify.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the overwhelming and broad-based support for the CA Voter ID initiative – and by submitting 1.2 million signatures we are confident this initiative will qualify for the November 2026 midterm ballot” said CA State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, one of the initiative’s proponents.

DeMaio’s Reform California organization is leading the volunteer signature drive and reports over 18,000 volunteers are trained and activated statewide to collect signatures.

DeMaio has asked his army of volunteer signature collectors to collect roughly 200,000 more signatures and return all signatures by February 6 for submission in mid-February – a month in advance of the initiative’s March submission deadline.

“We are ready with a team of lawyers to force this issue onto the ballot if necessary – and we’re organizing the most aggressive grassroots campaign California has seen in decades to make sure the measure passes in the November 2026 election,” DeMaio said, adding, “the one million signatures will shock California’s corrupt political establishment.” DeMaio expects “dirty tricks from sites and local politicians to derail the initiative.”

“Implementing a Voter ID requirement is critical in securing our elections – and this initiative reinstates trust in our democracy and ensures every legal vote is counted,” said CA State Senator Tony Strickland, one of the initiative’s proponents.

“With strong public backing and a mobilized team ready to collect the signatures needed, our job is simple: make sure voters get their say on this widely popular reform next November,” said Julie Luckey, Chairman of Californians for Voter ID and an organizational proponent of the measure.

In November 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice intervened in a federal lawsuit initially filed by the Dhillon Law Group, Assemblyman David Tangipa, California voters, and the CAGOP. The lawsuit alleges Prop. 50 unconstitutionally racially gerrymanders districts in violation of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.

Oral arguments were first heard last month. The Globe will continue to provide updates on any new developments.