Want to register to vote in California? You don't need a passport. You don't need a government ID. You don't even need a driver's license.
A gym membership card will do.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli recently called attention to the state's voter identification rules on X, and the post spread fast.
California Is Blocking a Federal Audit of Its Voter Rolls
California allows first-time voters to register using forms of ID that most Americans would find surprising, including:
-Gym membership card
-Employer ID card
-Credit or debit card
-Prescription drug label
-Insurance… pic.twitter.com/kOEOzpctmb— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) June 7, 2026
Essayli specifically criticized a state policy that allows some first-time voters who don't provide a driver's license number or Social Security number during registration to verify their identity using alternative forms of ID, including employee identification cards, gym membership cards, insurance cards, and other documents.
None of those documents prove you're a U.S. citizen.
California requires voters to affirm under penalty of perjury that they are citizens and eligible to vote, but they don't require documentary proof of citizenship during the voter registration process.
So you sign a piece of paper saying you're eligible. California takes your word for it. Done.
This is exactly why House Republicans passed the SAVE Act earlier this year. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require documented proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
It passed the House 218-213 in February 2026. It hasn't become law yet.
Right now, at every level, the system runs on the honor code. State elections. Federal elections. All of it.
You just promise you're eligible and they hand you a ballot.
California's gym card rule is a symptom. The disease is a registration system built on self-attestation with zero verification.
And until the SAVE Act or something like it gets signed into law, that's the system we're all living under.
Essayli didn't stop at the ID rules. He noted that dead voters are not removed from the rolls in a prompt manner, nor are those who have moved or those convicted of disqualifying felonies.
So he asked for an audit. The federal Department of Justice backed him up.
In September 2025, the DOJ sued California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, seeking to compel disclosure of the statewide voter file that includes registered voters' full names, residential addresses, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
California declined to provide this data, citing state privacy laws and offering redacted versions instead. A federal court sided with California and dismissed the case.
California is saying its voter rolls are clean and its system is secure. Then why block an independent look?
If everything's on the up and up, an audit should be no problem. The fact that they fought it all the way to federal court isn't reassuring.
Essayli wrote that California is “blocking a federal audit of its voter rolls,” alleging the state has resisted efforts by the Justice Department to verify voter eligibility and review how voter registration lists are maintained.
Nevada conservatives have been raising the same kinds of concerns here at home for years. The good news is Nevada voters aren't waiting around to fix it.
Question 7, which would require ID to vote and add extra security measures to mail ballots, passed overwhelmingly with 73.7 percent of the vote in 2024.
Because it's a constitutional amendment, it has to pass twice. It will appear again on the ballot in November 2026.
Nevada Democrats tried to block it in the legislature first. After Democrats declined to hear his voter ID bill in 2023, Gov. Lombardo took the issue directly to the people.
They said yes. Loudly.
California is fighting audits in federal court. Nevada voters are demanding accountability at the ballot box.
Public polling has consistently shown strong backing for voter ID reforms. Most Americans think you should have to show some proof of who you are before you vote.
Thirty-six states already require some form of ID. The holdouts aren't protecting democracy.
They're protecting a system where a dog can vote and nobody catches it.
A gym card to register. No citizenship proof required. Dead people and dogs on the rolls. And no outside review allowed.
California calls that election integrity.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
