Proposition 50 will appear on the Nov. 4 special election ballot. The amendment, which would alter California’s redistricting process, follows Texas’ controversial move to redraw its districts.
Proposition 50, officially titled the “Election Rigging Response Act,” would temporarily change California’s congressional district maps for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections. It is aimed to create more Democratic-leaning seats in response to Texas’ unfair redrawing of districts but to also give many voters the final decision and not just the lawmakers. This Proposition has been set that our current President Donald Trump and the Texas republicans have been creating to gain more congressional seats for the next year’s voting election before it can even begin.
If you’d like to sign up for any updates you can sign up to The Election Rigging Response Act Campaign in which you can volunteer, donate money to campaign and sign up to receive updates on Proposition 50. And if you go against Proposition 50 you can sign up on No on 50, Stop Sacramento Power Grab where you can also sign up for updates on it too.
Typically, congressional redistricting is done every 10 years, following the completion of the U.S. Census. Each state redraws a new congressional map based on population changes that can help make sure every district fairly represents its residents. According In USA facts explain how if a state increases its population, it can gain more seats, but if the population shrinks, it can lose seats.
In the last US Census, states that lost seats were California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. And those who gained a seat were Colorado, Florida, Oregon, Montana, and North Carolina and Texas gained two seats.
Essentially Proposition 50, also known as “The Election Rigging Response Act” was introduced to help California to maintain the representation in the state government trying to balance the political power. The California Democrats had pushed back to the Republican-lead assembly plan, which was essentially backed by Trump to flip many and several U.S. House seats from Democrats to Republicans, in effect of overpowering the democrats. Many democrats argue that the republican plan is an unfair move so they proposed a new plan that can suspend the current independence to temporarily redraw districts to protect the democratic representation.
Proposition 50 is intended to protect California’s influence within the state government by promoting fairness and accountability among the lawmakers. It’s different from states that are changing their district maps to be able to get more congressional seats. Proponents of Prop 50 argue that the measure is meant to balance political power since Texas attempted to tip the scales. The goal is to protect democratic-leaning representation rather than unfairly rig it. Opponents of Prop 50 say that…
While redistricting mid-cycle is not unlawful, it is also not very common. MT.SAC Political Science Professor Stephen Trull said he’s “not surprised at all with the new proposition although it is a relatively new thing that is happening in our country”. In order for Republicans to maintain a majority in the HOR, they need to ensure every seat they can. Those five additional seats could be key to doing so. Trull explained that Texas noticed this key detail that they had the opportunity to redraw their lines in the middle of the decade which essentially helped the Republican party to gain five seats out of the forty, allowing them to maintain control of the House. If passed, California’s redistricting would essentially nullify it. So then after the Democrats in California would like to nullify it so that they can redraw the state lines for the congress members and eventually gain 48 Democrats and four Republicans.
Trull believes it can temporarily suspend the decisions of the voters from nearly a decade or two back. He says “Now if over half of the voters approve, then it becomes a new law, and it changes the state Constitution but only temporarily.” because they believe that when the next census happens in 2030, they wanna go back to the old ways which was to have five Democrats, five Republicans, and four independents that are chosen by a lottery draw in district lines because they believe this is the best way to balance out the parties so that they are not overpowering each other.
He suggests that voting yes or no truly depends on what party you are a part of. “if you are more inclined to support the democrats, you should vote yes. And if you support republicans, you should vote no.” Trull says.
Stephanie Lim, a Political Science major, said people should consider both perspectives rather than voting along party lines before making a decision. she would likely vote yes for proposition 50 though she is still open to considering multiple perspectives. “I was curious about what people on the right think about it,” Lim said. “They were saying how most voters were against this.”
It is very important to vote on Proposition 50 whether it is yes or no because it gives the votes the last say not the lawmakers and how California responds to the recent redistricting changes that’s going across the country. The outcome will affect how much political power California could hold in congress for the next years to come. More states are likely to follow suit and redistrict. Which will give voters the power remains uncertain, but for Californians, redistricting will be their call.
You can always mail your ballot after taking your vote or go to your nearest polling station, you can check on the California Federation of LABOR UNIONS and check out all the dates and availability posters. Or the California Secretary of State where you can search your address up and it gives you the nearest polling location. The last day to return your ballot by mail is by Election Day which is November 4, 2025 so that it can be received by your county’s office by November 12, 2025. If your dropping off your ballot in person it is best to be done by the time the poll closes on election day which is at 8:PM
Places near Mt. SAC is where you can drop off your ballot at the Walnut Library between Oct. 16 to Nov. 4 and it is open 24 hours. Another is at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona at their Student Services and at the Creekside park which is also available 24/7 from Oct. 16 to Nov. 4th.
