California to weigh tighter restrictions on voter registration amid US debate on election security

The California plan — also backed by Republicans — is being pitched as a common sense idea to strengthen confidence in voting in a vast state with more than 23 million people registered to cast a ballot. State officials said its backers submitted sufficient petition signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

“We already show ID for everyday activities like flying, opening a bank account and picking up prescription medications. Thirty-six other states and many countries around the world already use voter ID,” said state Sen. Tony Strickland, a Republican from Huntington Beach.

“Californians deserve secure, transparent elections,” added Strickland, a proponent of the proposal.

If approved in November in the heavily Democratic state, other provisions would require those who vote through popular mail-in ballots would have to give the last four digits of a government-issued ID, such as a Social Security number.

California is among 14 states and the District of Columbia that do not require voters to show some form of identification at the polls or to register to vote.

While California at times has faced questions from critics about the legitimacy of its vote tallies, research shows voter fraud in the country is rare. Voting by noncitizens has occurred, but reviews of state cases have shown it to be uncommon and typically a mistake rather than an intentional effort to sway an election.

Most California residents vote by mail, and in the pursuit of accuracy, thoroughness and counting every vote, the nation’s most populous state has gained a reputation for tallies that can drag on for weeks — and sometimes longer.

The effort to tighten restrictions on voter registration and mail ballots will come in a critical election year, when Californians will be picking their next governor and with control of Congress on the line.

Opponents argued that such requirements make it more difficult for people to vote, especially the elderly, those with disabilities and those without driver’s licenses.

The president continues to claim that he was not the loser in the 2020 presidential election — and has long falsely said the election was marred by widespread fraud. Trump’s claims were rejected by dozens of judges, including several he appointed. His own attorney general and an exhaustive review by The Associated Press found no evidence of widespread fraud that could have changed the results. Multiple reviews, audits and recounts in the battleground states where Trump disputed his loss confirmed Democrat Joe Biden’s victory, including several overseen by Republican lawmakers.

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Associated Press writer Trân Nguyễn contributed from Sacramento, California.