Prop 50: Know before you vote
Governor Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump engage in a tug of war over the number of U.S. House seats.
California voters can expect a special election on Nov. 4, where they will vote on Proposition 50.
The goal of the proposition
Prop 50, also referred to as the Election Rigging Response Act, is a constitutional amendment proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom in an attempt to replace the current congressional map with one that would create five new districts that are majority Democrat.
If approved, this would likely result in Democrats gaining five House seats while Republicans lose them in the next election. These maps would be in effect until 2030.
This comes at the news of Texas’s recent redistricting, granting the state up to five additional Republican seats, subsequently taking them away from Democrats.
Additionally, Newsom cites President Donald Trump as another major reason for proposing the redistricting of California, claiming that this would enable him to fight back against the administration. “California will not sit idle as Trump and his Republican lapdogs shred our country’s democracy before our very eyes,” said Newsom as he unveiled the framework for Prop 50 in August.
Starting with the basics
A brief explanation of how congressional maps work
Each state in America is either primarily Republican or Democrat, even if this margin is small – like in swing states that can go either way in a given election. States like California and Texas, however, tend to stick to their parties.
In each state, lawmakers are expected to ensure that geographic subpockets that may differ from the majority viewpoint – like Republicans in California – are still represented, and that the residents’ voices are heard. This also allows for a mostly partisan state to incorporate viewpoints from the opposing party. Additionally, with city and rural life differing greatly, each region requires different representation to advocate for their needs at both the state and federal levels.
For California to accomplish this, districts are drawn throughout the state by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. This is a politically balanced group containing five Democrats, five Republicans and four undetermined politicians. This occurs every 10 years following the U.S. census to ensure accuracy. This was established by the Voters FIRST Act, or Prop 11, in 2009. Mid-decade redistricting, which is what Texans and Californians face now, is allowed in some states but is very rare.
Every two years, the residents of each district will vote for one candidate to be their elected House representative. This person’s job is to be the voice of the people living in that district when making decisions.
Due to its large population, California has 53 districts and therefore 53 House representatives. Currently, there are 43 Democrats and 9 Republicans working together to represent the views of the state.
Given that these districts are drawn according to the census and are required to be nonpartisan and fair, drawing them in an effort to amplify one political party is called gerrymandering. If a district is purposefully drawn to incorporate more people of a certain political party, therefore diluting the proportion of the opposing one, this will likely result in the majority political party gaining more U.S. House seats at the next election.
Gerrymandering and mid-decade redistricting are both legal in California, but not often encouraged and are fairly rare.
Prop 50 is a legal attempt to gerrymander
Prop 50 is a partisan bill aligning with the Democratic Party. By temporarily redrawing districts to put more Democrats in power in areas that are currently represented by Republicans, the proposition is seeking to “temporarily bypass the state’s independent, nonpartisan redistricting commission,” according to CalMatters.
Democrats currently hold 43 out of 52 House seats in California.
This is in response to Texas’ recent redistricting
In August, Texas signed a nearly identical partisan bill, but one that aligned with the Republican Party. At the urging of Trump, Texas passed midterm redistricting that aimed to give Republicans up to five additional U.S. House seats.
Texas Senator Phil King described the political motivation behind the bill, as reported by NPR.
“For the map to be legal in all respects, that was the first goal,” King said. “And the second one was that it would perform better for Republican congressional candidates in Texas.”
Texas’ newly approved congressional map is now under review at the federal level to decide if it will be used in the 2026 midterm elections.
Given that Texas may gain up to five Republican seats in the U.S. House, Newsom argued that the state of California must respond by adding five Democratic ones to limit Trump from solidifying the House majority.
Controversies with Prop 50
Critics of the bill argue that it prioritizes federal goals over state ones and will have consequences for Californians. Prop 50 could potentially silence minority political voices by lumping them in with the majority.
If this proposition is approved, places like Modoc County, which are rural and home to many ranchers, will be lumped in with the Bay Area cities, thus taking away their individuality and leaving them to be unrepresented.
Additionally, some critics say this is fighting fire with fire and enables politicians to rig future elections, especially since this redistricting would last until the year 2030.
“While Newsom and CA Democrats say Prop 50 is a response to Trump and Texas redistricting, California shouldn’t retaliate and sacrifice its integrity by ending fair elections,” ReformCalifornia said.
This debate is being opened up to the public and allows California voters to decide by Election Day on Nov. 4.
Options for how you can cast your vote
Vote-by-Mail:
Active registered voters received a ballot in the mail in early October. This ballot must be postmarked or dropped off by 8 p.m. on Nov. 4. Dropbox locations can be found through California’s official tool.
Early in-person voting:
Early voting begins on Oct. 25. California’s official early voting locator tool provides all early voting locations.
Election Day voting:
In-person voting on Election Day will begin at 7 a.m. and end at 8 p.m. Use California’s official Vote Center locator to find the closest location.
Same-Day Voter Registration:
Those who missed the Oct. 20 deadline to register to vote, it’s not too late. Residents who bring a form of ID can both register and cast their ballot at any vote center.
Vote Centers Near CSUN Campus:
Canoga Park Elks Lodge 2190 – 20925 Osborne St, Canoga Park
DoubleTree by Hilton Chatsworth – 9777 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Chatsworth
Balboa Sports Center – 17015 Burbank Blvd, Encino
Magnolia Park United Methodist Church – 2828 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank
CSUN Students:
Visit the campus vote center located in Redwood Hall, Room 180, from 7 a.m. to 8.p.m daily to cast an early vote until Monday, Nov. 3.If not yet registered to vote, bring an ID to the vote center on Election Day, Nov.4, to both register and voteIf voting by mail, CSUN’s ballot drop box is located in Parking Lot F5 outside of Redwood Hall.