LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� A proposal that would require California to verify proof of citizenship when a person registers to vote 鈥� and require voters to provide identification at polling places 鈥� will appear on the November ballot, state officials announced Friday.
The announcement comes amid a and what type of requirements voters should face to show they are qualified to cast a ballot. In Congress, Republicans are for residents to vote, encouraged by President Donald Trump.
The California plan 鈥� also backed by Republicans 鈥� 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.
鈥淲e 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,鈥� said state Sen. Tony Strickland, a Republican from Huntington Beach.
鈥淐alifornians deserve secure, transparent elections,鈥� 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 in the country is rare. Voting by noncitizens has occurred, but 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鈥檚 most populous state has gained a reputation for tallies that can drag on for weeks 鈥� 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鈥檚 licenses.
The president continues to claim that he was not the 鈥� and has long the election was marred by widespread fraud. Trump鈥檚 claims were rejected by , including several he appointed. His own and an by The Associated Press found no evidence of widespread fraud that could have changed the results. Multiple , and in the where Trump disputed his loss , including several overseen by Republican lawmakers.
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Associated Press writer Tr芒n Nguy峄卬 contributed from Sacramento, California.
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