Elections: voter identification.

Senator Choi and a bipartisan group of legislators propose removing California's statewide prohibition on local voter identification requirements, introducing legislation that would allow cities and counties to establish their own voter ID policies at polling places and ballot submission locations.

The measure would repeal the current Elections Code provision that prevents local governments from requiring voters to present identification when casting ballots. Under existing law, municipalities cannot enact or enforce any charter provisions, ordinances, or regulations mandating voter ID at polling places or other voting locations. The repeal would transfer authority over voter identification requirements from the state to local jurisdictions, while maintaining compliance obligations with state constitutional provisions and federal voting rights laws.

Local governments would gain the ability to develop and implement voter identification standards tailored to their communities, potentially creating varying requirements across different California jurisdictions. Election officials in municipalities that choose to establish voter ID requirements would need to incorporate new verification procedures into their voting processes, while voters may encounter different identification standards when moving between jurisdictions or voting in various locations.