Our morning columns are available to all subscribers and guests. You can also listen to this content. Search for it on your favorite podcasting app. Or go here. For our paid subscribers below the paywall, there is a special video commentary and my one big, bold, edgy prediction about the campaign to pass this measure. And an exclusive interview with Ryan Erwin the lead consultant for this ballot measure campaign…
⏱️ 5 min read
The Drop-Off Wasn’t Small
This wasn’t some quiet paperwork filing. It was a two-day statewide show of force — and as this column runs, it’s still underway. The campaign to qualify the California Voter ID Initiative kicked off yesterday in Southern California and continues today in Northern California, with five signature submission rallies in major media markets. The goal was simple: make it clear that this effort is organized, serious, and headed for the November 2026 ballot.
The first stop was at the Riverside County Registrar of Voters. And it didn’t look small. Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, State Senator Tony Strickland, and Congressman Ken Calvert stood in front of a massive pile of boxes filled with signed petitions — stacks of paperwork representing just one of 58 county turn-ins that, combined, will total more than 1.35 million signatures from California voters. It was a visual that made the scale unmistakable.
“This is truly an amazing day for California democracy,” DeMaio said. “Because in a time when people have given up hope that their government is going to be responsive to them, and that even participating in voting matters, this initiative is the turning point. This initiative is when people rise up and say we want a better government. We want trust and confidence back in our elections.”
That’s not the language of a routine filing. While I’m highlighting the kickoff event in Riverside, other regional leaders who helped drive the signature-gathering effort are appearing at the additional turn-in events across the state. To qualify, the initiative needs 874,641 valid signatures. Supporters are submitting well over 1.35 million. Even allowing for invalids, this measure is almost certain to qualify once verification is complete.
The Infrastructure Behind The Moment
Those boxes didn’t fill themselves. Behind that mountain of petitions are months of organizing. The Orange County Lincoln Club played a major role in driving this effort, under the leadership of Lincoln Club member Julie Luckey. As a Lincoln Club member myself, I'm very proud.
The tour began in Riverside and San Diego. Today it moves through Sacramento, Fresno, and the Bay Area. That’s not accidental. It’s a deliberate statewide footprint. Supporters want to make clear this isn’t a regional protest. It’s a reform campaign with statewide reach.
Strickland put it plainly: showing ID to vote isn’t radical. It’s normal. You need an ID to board a plane, cash a check, rent a car, or enter countless government buildings. Yet California — the largest state in the country — still doesn’t require identification to cast a ballot in person. That disconnect is what fuels this effort.
Calvert added another important point. Even if fraud isn’t widespread, close elections are real. California has seen races decided by razor-thin margins. In those cases, small numbers matter. Public confidence matters. And that’s really what this is about — confidence.
This Is About Common Sense…
Strip away the politics, and this comes down to common sense.
There isn’t a single public opinion poll I’ve seen that doesn’t show voter ID as a strong — often overwhelming — winner with voters. Democrats, Republicans, and independents — most Californians believe showing identification to vote is reasonable.
It’s hard to explain why this would be a bad idea. Because it isn’t a bad idea. It’s basic. It’s mainstream. And after more than 1.35 million Californians signed their names demanding it, the question is no longer whether this debate will happen.
So, Does It Matter?
In a state where trust in institutions has eroded and confidence in elections has been questioned for years, restoring basic guardrails matters. Requiring identification to vote isn’t extreme. It isn’t complicated. It isn’t partisan in the eyes of most voters.
It’s common sense.
And when more than 1.35 million Californians take the time to sign their names demanding it, Sacramento should understand something clearly:
The people are paying attention now.
Below the paywall:
A short analysis video with a very edgy prediction…
An exclusive Q&A with the lead consultant for the ballot measure…
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