California’s Voter ID Fight Is a Warning Shot for Nevada.
You need ID to buy cold medicine. But ask for ID to vote and some Democrats act like you asked for a kidney.
That fight is raging in California right now. And it’s a warning shot for Nevada.
As Elizabeth Elkind reported for Fox News Digital on Oct. 22, the No. 3 Democrat in the U.S. House is under fire.
Rep. Pete Aguilar blasted a California ballot measure called Proposition 39. It would require photo ID at the polls.
Aguilar called it voter suppression. He even fretted about voters fumbling a number.
“What if you miss one digit? Your vote doesn’t count?”
Then the Justice Department dropped a bomb.
Just weeks later, DOJ announced a bust. Several green card holders were accused of registering to vote in California.
They’re not citizens. They can’t legally vote. Talk about bad timing.
California Republicans in Congress pounced.
Rep. Ken Calvert noted you already show ID to fly, cash a paycheck or rent an apartment.
Rep. Vince Fong said the DOJ case shows exactly why safeguards matter.
And Rep. Young Kim said voting deserves at least as much scrutiny as buying booze.
They’re right.
To be fair, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office pushed back. It pointed to reports that more of those charged were registered Republicans than Democrats.
Fine. Fraud is fraud. Nobody gets a pass because of the letter after their name. That’s the whole point of checking ID.
Now let’s bring it home.
Nevada is voting on its own voter ID measure. It’s Question 7. And we’re not starting from scratch.
Nevadans approved Question 7 with 73.3% of the vote in November 2024. That’s a blowout. So it’s a done deal, right?
Wrong!
In Nevada, a citizen initiative that changes our constitution has to pass twice. Two elections in a row. If it fails the second time, it’s dead.
And don’t think it can’t happen. It has before.
In 2016, Question 3 on energy choice won 72.4% of the vote. Two years later, it got just 33.0%.
That’s almost the same margin Q7 won by. And it got wiped out.
Then there’s open primaries and ranked-choice voting. That Question 3 got 53% in 2022, then fell to 47% in 2024.
Dead.
The trend is clear. Ballotpedia found that since 1980, the “yes” share dropped on the second vote for 14 of 17 initiated constitutional amendments, by an average of 8.7 points.
Four of them were rejected outright.
So no. Question 7 is not in the bag.
Here’s what it does.
In-person voters show a photo ID. A driver’s license, passport, tribal ID or even a concealed carry permit works.
Mail voters list the last four digits of their driver’s license or Social Security number, or a number from their county clerk. Voters over 70 can use an ID that’s expired for any length of time.
Four digits. Not exactly a tough test, Congressman.
The danger here is complacency.
The measure has gotten relatively little press this cycle, with no big PAC money on either side. Low attention is how winners turn into losers.
So here’s my ask: Vote YES on 7.
And know this: If you don’t like the candidates on your ballot, you don’t have to vote for any of them.
You can vote YES on 7 and leave every other race blank. Your vote on Question 7 still counts.
That’s how important this is.
Candidates come and go. A constitutional amendment protects Nevada elections for the long haul. If it passes again, voter ID would be in effect for the 2028 elections…and every election thereafter.
You show ID for Sudafed. Showing it to pick the people who run your government isn’t too much to ask.
Vote YES on 7. Then call five friends and make sure they do too.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology may have been used in the research, writing, or production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
