Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and his wife have become two of the largest donors in the campaign opposing a California ballot measure that would impose strict voter identification requirements.
Hastings contributed $1 million to the effort against Proposition 39, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship and personal identification before casting a ballot. Supporters say the rules are needed to prevent voter fraud.
Secretary of State records show Hastings made the donation on Sept. 3, as California Democrats organize opposition to Prop. 39.
His wife of 35 years, Patty Quillin, donated $1.5 million on Aug. 31.
A recently released Public Policy Institute of California poll found that 55% of California voters oppose the voter ID measure, compared with 43% who support it.
“California politicians are getting special interests to bankroll their dishonest smear campaign against Prop 39, but in the end we are confident voters will vote YES on Prop 39 because it is truly the bipartisan solution for Voter ID to restore trust in our democracy,” Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio said in a statement.
Prop. 39 was placed on the ballot amid concerns about potential weaknesses in California’s voting system and a federal push by President Donald Trump for tighter election requirements.
Backed by The Transparency Foundation, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and numerous Republican officials, the measure would require voters to present government-issued identification when voting in person. People voting by mail would also be required to provide the last four digits of an identification document on their ballots to verify eligibility.
Opponents, including ACLU California Action, the League of Women Voters and many leading state Democrats, argue that Prop. 39 would impose unnecessary barriers to voting and increase the risk of identity theft.
Hastings donated to a “No on 39” committee backed by labor and community health organizations. Secretary of State records show the committee also received $2 million from the Los Angeles-based California Community Foundation. Quillin’s contribution went to a separate committee sponsored by California Donor Table and the ACLU.
Major financial supporters of Prop. 39 include packaging billionaire Richard Uihlein and Nicole Shanahan, the former running mate of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and ex-wife of Sergey Brin.
There is no evidence of widespread fraud in California’s elections. However, the state’s slow vote-counting process—final results can take days or even weeks because of its permissive mail-voting timelines—has fueled suspicion about possible weaknesses in the system.
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Reports of fraud involving petition workers who collect signatures to qualify initiatives for the ballot have also drawn negative attention to California’s election system.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in June that he had opened investigations into voting-related issues.
“California’s election system has serious structural vulnerabilities. Universal vote-by-mail with no voter ID requirements creates conditions where fraud can go undetected and unpunished, eroding public confidence,” Essayli wrote on X.
Supporters of Prop. 39 have also accused Attorney General Rob Bonta of deliberately softening the measure’s ballot title to confuse voters.
Hastings is among California’s most active billionaire political donors. State records show he gave $3 million to help defeat the 2022 effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom and has donated tens of millions of dollars to politicians from both parties since 2001.
