For Immediate Release
October 5, 2026
“NO on Prop 39” Ads Hit Bay Area Airwaves as Mail Ballots Begin Landing in Voters’ Mailboxes
Seven-figure ad buy highlights new hurdles Prop 39 would impose on California voters
SAN FRANCISCO – Californians for Voting Rights, a coalition of voting rights advocates, community groups, labor and civil rights organizations united to defeat Proposition 39, rolled out two television ads today as part of the seven-figure ad buy highlighting the negative impact Proposition 39 would have on the more than 80% of Californians who choose to vote by mail.
The ads, “Power Grab” and “Hours,” focus on the consequences voters will face under Proposition 39, including: increased chances of mail ballots being rejected, more voters choosing to vote in person, and longer lines at the polls as a result of the MAGA-billionaire driven measure.
“Proposition 39 would make it harder to vote by mail and force more Californians to vote in person, taking time off from work and having to wait in longer lines,” said Tenoch Flores, spokesperson for the “NO on Prop 39” campaign. “Trump’s obsession with restricting voting by mail is well-known and the campaign’s ads will make clear – just as mail ballots are landing – that Prop 39 is MAGA’s latest power grab and attempt to restrict voting by mail. More than 80% of California voters choose to vote by mail and that’s why Californians will vote ‘NO on Prop 39.’”
More information on the ads follows:
“Power Grab” underscores that Proposition 39 is aligned with President Trump’s broader national push to restrict voting by mail. “Prop 39 is a power grab by MAGA Republicans that adds new hurdles to voting,” the ad warns, including longer lines at polling places and the risk of mail ballots being rejected. The ad notes that four in five Californians vote by mail and contrasts Trump’s attacks on the practice, which he has called “cheating,” with the fact that Trump himself has voted by mail.
“Hours” focuses on the consequences voters could face under Proposition 39, stating that making it harder to vote by mail would force more Californians to take time off work and wait in long lines to cast their ballots. “Everyone hates standing in line,” the ad begins, before warning that Proposition 39 could mean “spending hours waiting in line to vote.” Its message is straightforward: “39 isn’t election security. It only makes voting harder.”
Background
Under Prop 39, Californians who vote by mail — over 80% of voters in the state — would have to include a personal ID number on their ballot envelope that would have to exactly match state records, making them easy targets for identity theft and increasing the rejection of valid ballots. Those voting in person would be required to show a government issued ID. That would create long lines at polls and increase the risk of citizens being turned away. Meanwhile, name changes, frequent moves, and housing instability create additional ID traps for eligible voters. Creating all of these new voting barriers in Prop 39 would cost California taxpayers hundreds of millions every year.
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