SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Requiring proof of citizenship in U.S. elections has been one of President Donald Trump’s longtime ambitions.

The president recently signed an executive order that aims to establish new voting requirements, including proof of citizenship and a mandate for all mail ballots to be received by Election Day.

What You Need To Know

  • Trump signed an executive order to require proof of citizenship when registering to vote

  • Democratic officials in 19 states filed a lawsuit against the president's order

  • An effort is underway in California to collect 1 million signatures for a 2026 ballot initiative that would require voter ID in state elections

  • A report by the Brennan Center for Justice showed Americans are more likely to be struck by lightning than they are being impersonated by another voter at the polls

Democratic officials in more than a dozen states have filed a lawsuit against the president’s election order.

In California, there’s an effort underway to require voter ID. If successful, voters will have a say on this issue during next year’s midterm election.

Former Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli, who was sworn in this week as the new U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said voter ID was one of the top issues his constituents would talk to him about during his time as a legislator.

“Voters want to have trust and confidence in our election systems. California doesn’t have any systems in place right now, other than signature verification, which isn’t a very good system. We’re actually behind on this,” said Essayli, during an interview while he was still serving in the state assembly.

Reform California, a grassroots conservative group, is leading the effort for a proposed 2026 ballot initiative that would require Californians to show their ID in order to vote. If successful, voters would also need to verify they’re a U.S. citizen when they register.

State law requires voters to provide an ID or driver’s license number and the last four digits of their social security. Essayli and other Republicans don’t think the current system is strong enough to prevent voter fraud.

However, Democrats like Assemblymember Marc Berman, who sits on the elections committee, defended California’s election process.

“I’m proud of the system that we have in California. I’m proud that it’s very accessible, that we make it as easy as possible for people to participate in their democracy, but also how secure it is, and how strong our systems are to make sure that we don’t have election fraud in California,” Berman noted.

A report by the Brennan Center for Justice showed Americans are more likely to be struck by lightning than they are being impersonated by another voter at the polls.

"It’s unfortunate that President Trump continues to spread this misinformation around voter fraud and around the integrity of our elections," said Berman. "The data clearly shows that voter fraud is practically nonexistent. A study was done that showed, I think about 77 cases of noncitizen voting in elections in the United States over 24 years."

The statewide effort to get voter ID on next year’s ballot is still in its preliminary phase. Proponents are looking to recruit 10,000 volunteers across California to gather 1 million signatures.