Voter ID stays a contentious matter in U.S. elections, and a brand new California invoice associated to the observe has grow to be the goal of misinformation.
“SB 1174 was simply handed in California, and it opens the door for unlawful immigrants to vote by eliminating the requirement for voter ID at polling locations,” learn a screenshot of an X put up shared on Instagram.
The Instagram put up was flagged as a part of Meta’s efforts to fight false information and misinformation on its Information Feed. (Learn extra about our partnership with Meta, which owns Fb and Instagram.) We additionally noticed a Fb put up that stated the invoice would “ban voter ID statewide.”
These claims are deceptive and lack context about California’s present voter ID legal guidelines.
Senate Invoice 1174 prohibits native governments from requiring voter ID at polling locations, however present state legislation already says that, in most circumstances, California voters needn’t present ID earlier than voting on the polls. The Legislature handed the invoice in August, and it awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval.
The invoice was drafted in response to Huntington Seaside, California, passing a measure that might supersede California state legislation and require voters to current their ID on the metropolis’s polls.
By state legislation, nevertheless, California voters want to point out ID to polling place staff provided that they’re voting for the primary time after registering to vote by mail and didn’t present a sound type of ID on their registration type, a California secretary of state spokesperson stated in an electronic mail.
S.B. 1174 would block Huntington Seaside’s voter ID requirement, which is to take impact in 2026.
“If enacted into legislation, SB 1774 will cut back potential voter confusion that would end result from having native election procedures in place that battle with state legislation,” stated Kim Alexander, president of the voting rights nonprofit California Voter Basis.
Voter ID is hotly debated in U.S. politics. Opponents say tighter legal guidelines make voting much less accessible, particularly for minorities, younger individuals, low-income voters and other people with disabilities. Proponents of tighter guidelines say requiring voter ID can stop fraud.
Solely U.S. residents can vote in federal elections; Congress banned noncitizen voting in 1996. Noncitizens hardly ever forged ballots. Those that do face stiff penalties together with deportation.
In April, California officers sued Huntington Seaside, saying its new voter ID coverage conflicts with state legislation and would create obstacles for low-income, nonwhite, younger, aged and disabled voters.
State Sen. Dave Min, D-Calif., who authored S.B. 1774, stated April 2 that California “already has sturdy identification procedures to register to vote.”
All individuals who register to vote in California should signal a discover, beneath penalty of perjury, that states they’re U.S. residents, a California secretary of state spokesperson stated. Voter registrations are then verified with the Division of Motor Automobiles’ driver’s license databases and Social Safety Administration data. Candidates whose data isn’t verified should present their IDs on the polls the primary time they vote.
Offering false voter data is a felony punishable by as much as three years in jail. Voter fraud does happen in California elections, however is uncommon. For instance, there have been eight documented circumstances of voter fraud in California within the 2020 election, in line with information from The Heritage Basis, a conservative assume tank.
Nearly all of California voters don’t vote in particular person. Eighty-nine % of voters within the 2024 presidential major election voted by mail and federal legislation mandates that every one first-time voters should present ID when requesting mail ballots.
Our ruling
An Instagram put up stated S.B. 1174 would eradicate voter ID necessities at polling locations in California. An identical one on Faceook stated it might “ban voter ID statewide.”
S.B. 1174 prohibits native governments from requiring voter ID at polling locations, however present state legislation already says that most often, California voters don’t want to point out ID earlier than voting on the polls. The invoice was drafted in response to a Huntington Seaside invoice that conflicts with state legislation and requires voters to point out ID at polling locations in 2026.
All California voters should validate their identities by way of a multistep course of when registering to vote. Falsifying voter registration data is a felony punishable by as much as three years in jail. There have been situations of voter fraud in California elections, however they’re uncommon.
The assertion comprises a component of fact however ignores important details that might give a distinct impression. We price it Principally False.
PolitiFact Senior Correspondent Amy Sherman contributed to this report.
