For Immediate Release
October 9, 2026
U.S. Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, State Senator Jesse Arreguín, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and Community Organizations Call on Californians to Vote “NO on Prop 39” as Mail Ballots Drop
OAKLAND, Calif. – At a press conference today, U.S. Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D – Oakland), Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, State Senator Jesse Arreguín (D – Oakland), and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D – Oakland) joined community organizations to urge Californians to vote “NO on Prop 39.” Elected and community leaders spoke to the importance of opposing the Trump-driven ballot measure that would make voting harder, less secure, and more expensive for Californians.
“Proposition 39 is intended to discourage people from exercising their right to vote and sets up discriminatory hurdles to voting,” said Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D – Oakland). “This proposition has been put in place to tell our grandmothers, elders, and young people that voting is not for them. Use your ballot, use your voice and vote ‘NO on Prop 39.’”
At least $25 million in support of Proposition 39 has come from just two prominent MAGA donors and allies of President Trump.
“Prop 39 is a manufactured problem looking for a solution,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. “I personally remember the days of Jim Crow. I know what voter suppression looks like. That’s the context in which we are fighting Proposition 39. Eligible Californians should not be fighting through unnecessary paperwork barriers to exercise a Constitutional right.”
“The time it takes for a voter to resolve a paperwork problem, the transportation and child care costs and the missed work involved – none of that is free,” said Mayor Lee. “We won’t let Trump’s politics of distrust become another barrier at the ballot box. Vote NO on Prop 39.”
Prop 39’s effects will be disproportionately felt by seniors, students, low-income workers, and millions of women who change their names as a result of marriage or divorce.
“Prop 39 makes voting harder and adds new barriers for vote by mail voters,” said State Senator Jesse Arreguín (D – Oakland). “The vast majority of California voters choose to vote by mail. Under Prop 39 simple errors like blank fields, or a single wrong ID digit could result in valid ballots being rejected with no requirement that voters be notified or be given a chance to correct the error. Use your mail ballot and vote ‘NO on Prop 39.’”
More than 80% of Californians choose to vote by mail currently. Prop 39 would require mail voters to include the last four digits of a personally identifying number on their ballot envelope.
“Prop 39 would effectively require re-registration of 26 million California voters,” said Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D – Oakland). “It would create massive challenges and changes to our already complex voting system, putting the state and individual counties on the hook to defend against frivolous lawsuits from voter suppression groups pushing conspiracy theories.”
The independent Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) estimates that Prop 39 would cost California taxpayers at least tens of millions of dollars a year and up to hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
“If you’ve received your mail ballot we’re asking you to fill it out now and vote ‘NO on Prop 39,’” said Darius Kemp, Common Cause’s California Director. “Make no mistake, Prop 39 is the latest attempt from the Trump administration to restrict voting by mail. By voting ‘NO on Prop 39’ we will stop it here in California and it will go no further.”
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