California outlaws voter ID requirements

(by Gitanjali Poonia, Deseret News) – Billionaire Elon Musk criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom for signing a bill on September 29 that [prohibits local governments from enacting or enforcing a requirement that a person must show identification to vote].

“Wow, it is now illegal to require voter ID in California! They just made PREVENTING voter fraud against the law,” Musk wrote on X late Monday. “The Joker is in charge.”

This bill came in response to a ballot measure passed in Huntington Beach in March that mandated showing proof of photo ID when casting a ballot in city elections. It was set to go into effect in 2026.

A month later, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber filed a lawsuit against the coastal city over the voter ID ordinance.

Bonta  [said in a press release, “The right to freely cast your vote is the foundation of our democracy and Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy flies in the face of this principle.”]

“State election law already contains robust voter ID requirements with strong protections to prevent voter fraud, while ensuring that every eligible voter can cast their ballot without hardship. Imposing unnecessary obstacles to voter participation disproportionately burdens low-income voters, voters of color, young or elderly voters, and people with disabilities,” he said.

The California attorney general asked the courts to block the bill, and vowed to continue [“to defend the voting rights that make our democracy strong.”]

Meanwhile, the state’s legislature proposed the bill targeting the Huntington Beach law [that Gov. Newsom signed at the end of September].

California is one of 14 states that does not require ID when voting, as per the National Conference of State Legislature.

Voter ID laws across states

Here are voter ID laws in the West, according to the NCSL and Ballotpedia.

Arizona: Voters are required to show photo ID or two forms of non-photo ID in order to vote. Should the voter fail to present identification, the voter will be given a provisional ballot. After voting, they will have five days to show their ID in order to have their ballot counted.

Colorado: Voters are required to show ID at the polls, but it does not need to have a photo. The regulation doesn’t affect many voters since the state holds all its elections by mail.

Idaho: Voters are required to present photo ID, but should they not be able to, they have to sign an affidavit with their name and address.

Montana: The state requests photo ID. If a voter doesn’t have one readily available, they are asked to cast their vote on a provisional ballot. The voter’s signature on the ballot is matched with their signature on record.

Oregon, Nevada and New Mexico: No documents are required to vote.

Utah: Photo ID is requested but not required, and the county clerk has the authority to verify their identity through other methods.

Washington: Photo ID or a signed declaration is required at the polls. The regulation doesn’t affect many voters since the state holds all its elections by mail.

Wyoming: The state strictly requires a photo ID at the polls. A voter failing to meet this requirement has to use a provisional ballot and present their photo ID the next day for the ballot to be counted.