Voters in six states will decide voter ID measures on Tuesday, bringing the 2026 total to seven, the most ever in a single year, according to Ballotpedia. The previous record was three, in 2022.
Measures in California, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Arizona are on the Nov. 3 ballot. Oklahoma voters already approved State Question 846 on Aug. 25, adding the state’s ID requirement to its constitution. All seven establish or would establish or expand ID requirements in state constitutions, and none would reduce them, Ballotpedia reported.
Such measures have usually passed. From 2004 through 2025, voters decided 13 statewide voter ID measures, approving 10 (77%) and rejecting three, Ballotpedia found.
Colorado will be the seventh state to decide on a voter ID measure this year. The seven state measures are the most on this topic in any year. The previous record was three such measures in 2022.
Ballotpedia (@ballotpedia), Sept. 1, 2026
New rules in California and Nevada
California and Nevada do not currently require voter ID. Both measures would require ID at the polls and the last four digits of an ID number on mail ballots.
California’s Proposition 39, a citizen initiative, is on the ballot in a state where Democrats control the legislature and the governor’s office. A yes vote means “voters would be required to present additional identifying information to elections officials each time they vote,” according to the state’s official voter guide. The measure would also require the state to provide free ID to eligible voters and require election officials to use best efforts to verify registered voters’ citizenship attestations. The California Republican Party supports it, and Gov. Gavin Newsom opposes it, Ballotpedia reported.
Nevada voters approved Question 7 in 2024. Initiated constitutional amendments there must pass at two consecutive elections, so it returns this year.
The seven measures
| State | Measure | What it would do |
|---|---|---|
| California | Prop. 39 (initiative) | ID at the polls; last four digits of an ID number on mail ballots |
| Nevada | Question 7 (initiative) | Photo ID at the polls; ID number on mail ballots |
| Colorado | Amendment 84 (initiative) | Signature plus a REAL ID-compliant state ID number or Social Security number on mail ballots |
| North Carolina | Amendment (legislature) | Photo ID in person or by mail; adds state’s existing ID law to the constitution |
| Ohio | Issue 3 (legislature) | Photo ID in person; photo ID or other identifiers by mail; adds state’s existing ID law to the constitution |
| Arizona | Prop. 144 (legislature) | Government-issued ID in person or by mail; citizen-only voting language |
| Oklahoma | SQ 846 (legislature) | Approved Aug. 25; adds proof of identity to the constitution |
Colorado already requires ID for in-person voting, so Amendment 84 applies to mail ballots only. Arizona’s Proposition 144 would also bar foreign nationals from making election contributions and give voters the right to have their ballots counted at their voting location.
None of the seven would require documentary proof of citizenship. Arizona already requires it under state law, following voters’ approval of Proposition 200 in 2004.
