California voter ID backers sue Rob Bonta for attempting to ‘rig’ poll

Supporters of California’s voter ID initiative sued Lawyer Normal Rob Bonta on Monday, accusing him of attempting to “rig” the November election by utilizing deceptive poll language to sway voters in opposition to Proposition 39.

The lawsuit — filed in Sacramento County Superior Court docket — names Secretary of State Shirley Weber because the respondent whereas difficult poll language written by Bonta.

It seeks an expedited courtroom order requiring the legal professional basic to rewrite the initiative’s poll title, abstract and label earlier than state voter guides are finalized, arguing the language violates California legislation requiring poll supplies to be “true and neutral.”

“Rob Bonta is aware of that Prop 39 is prone to cross as a result of it’s a bipartisan answer to Voter ID and is supported by a supermajority of Democratic, impartial, and Republican voters,” Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) stated in a press release.

“Figuring out he can’t defeat our bipartisan answer to Voter ID in a good election, he has determined to rig the vote in opposition to Prop 39 with a false title claiming it prohibits residents from voting!”

The authorized problem comes as Democrats mount an aggressive marketing campaign to defeat Prop. 39, with gubernatorial frontrunner Xavier Becerra and California Speaker Robert Rivas serving as honorary co-chairs of the brand new opposition committee, “No on 39 – Block Trump’s Election Rigging.”

Backed by SEIU California and Deliberate Parenthood, the marketing campaign introduced it has already raised greater than $2 million, whereas supporters of the initiative have gathered their very own conflict chest, elevating greater than $12 million over the past 12 months and a half.

Bonta enraged Prop. 39 backers final week when he launched a brand new title and abstract for the measure, stating that it could prohibit residents from voting except they current government-issued identification.

Supporters argue the outline is fake as a result of Proposition 39 regulates how ballots are verified and counted reasonably than stopping eligible voters from casting ballots.

“The measure doesn’t prohibit any citizen from voting however regulates which ballots are counted, a verification rule, not a disqualification,” the lawsuit states.

It argues election officers would confirm a voter’s identification earlier than counting a poll and says Bonta’s language additionally omits one of many initiative’s core provisions requiring state and county officers to take care of correct voter rolls and confirm citizenship.

The lawsuit additionally argues Bonta deserted his workplace’s personal earlier description of the initiative. When the proposal was circulated for signatures in 2025, the legal professional basic’s workplace described it as establishing extra voter identification and citizenship verification necessities.

The petition says the initiative itself has not modified, making the revised language an “unexplained departure to a charged, one-sided framing” that’s “prone to create prejudice in opposition to the proposed measure.”

The plaintiffs additionally level to the Legislative Analyst’s Workplace, which described the measure as requiring voters to current extra figuring out data every time they vote, arguing that impartial language was available.

Democrats have framed the initiative as a part of President Donald Trump’s broader election agenda, with Becerra saying, “Prop. 39 is his playbook coming to California.” Rivas argued the measure would make voting tougher, whereas opponents contend voter ID necessities would disproportionately burden minority voters and others who face limitations to acquiring government-issued identification.

Supporters counter that the proposal enjoys broad public backing.

A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Research ballot launched this spring discovered 56% of possible voters initially supported the measure after studying a impartial description, though help declined after respondents heard arguments from each supporters and opponents.

Bonta’s workplace beforehand rejected accusations that it was trying to affect the election, saying state legislation permits poll language to be revised earlier than an election and that every one 9 citizen-backed initiatives on this 12 months’s poll obtained up to date language to enhance readability for voters.

A spokesperson for Bonta’s workplace confirmed they’re reviewing the petition.

“We take our responsibility to organize a title and abstract and poll label critically,” officers stated, “and we’re assured the courtroom will agree we now have faithfully executed that responsibility right here.”

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