California voters will soon decide on Proposition 50, opting whether or not to draw new congressional district maps that favor Democratic nominees or leave them as they are. These new boundaries would take effect in 2026 for the midterm elections and remain in place until 2030 — a response to efforts across the country initiated by the Trump administration to redistrict maps in favor of Republicans. 

Background 

In 2010, California voters decided an independent committee, known as the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, would be in charge of redistricting. The commission redraws districts every 10 years, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

Texas legislature passed a bill in August that drew a new congressional map, giving the Republican Party an additional five seats in the House of Representatives. Proposition 50, also known as the Election Rigging Response Act, was a direct response to this.

Newsom has been the most notable supporter of the proposition. At an event in Los Angeles in August, he officially responded to the Texas legislative gerrymandering by introducing Proposition 50. 

“California will not sit idle as Trump and his Republican lapdogs shred our country’s democracy before our very eyes,” said Newsom in his statement. “In just six months, Trump’s unchecked power has cost Americans billions and taken an ax to the greatest democracy we’ve ever known.”

Jason McDaniel, a San Francisco State University political science professor who specializes in urban politics and elections will be voting in favor of the proposition. 

“What we see is that our checks and balances are failing at the federal level, and it’s up to the states, and I think this is necessary,” McDaniel said. “I think this is a really big part of the Democrats trying to fight Republican control and Trump, especially the unprecedented efforts that they are doing in D.C. I’m not someone who’s an alarmist, but they are doing authoritarian tactics and trying to erode checks and balances quite explicitly.” 

Endorsements 

As of Sept. 30, a total of $120 million has been donated in support of the proposition. Fund for Policy Reform is a lobbying organization founded by Democratic billionaire George Soros, who donated $10 million to the cause. MoveOn, a nonprofit that focuses on education and uplifting grassroots leaders, gave $6.9 million. MoveOn formally endorsed the proposition on Sept. 16. 

“California MoveOn members voted overwhelmingly to endorse Prop 50, California’s Election Rigging Response Act,” read an online announcement posted to MoveOn’s website. “As President Trump and Republicans make an unprecedented power grab, it’s crucial for Democratic-led states like California to ensure a level playing field in the 2026 midterm elections without an unfair advantage for Republicans.”

Consumer Attorneys of California, a group of attorneys who represent the people of California, often against powerful, corporate opponents, donated $2 million to the effort. The American Federation of Teachers is a union that represents public and private school teachers, K-12, college and university employees, local government employees and healthcare facility workers across America. The union, which prioritizes public services and engagement to solve issues, donated $1 million. $49 million was funded from small-dollar donors. 

The opposing campaign has raised $77 million as of Sept. 30. The largest donor against the initiative is the Congressional Leadership Fund, which contributed $42 million. The Congressional Leadership Fund is a super political action committee that works to elect Republicans to the House of Representatives. A super PAC is a type of organization that can accept unlimited amounts of money and donate them to campaigns and candidates. Legally, super PACs cannot work directly on campaigns, but still serve as major influences. 

Charles Munger Jr., a physicist from Palo Alto and political donor who is known for his support of the Republican Party and independent redistricting in California, donated $33 million. About $8,300 was donated by small-dollar donors. 

A measure political candidates use for testing support of a proposition is small-dollar donations. As those donations are directly from constituents, they help gauge who will be more likely to participate in the election and how they’ll vote. 

At the time of publication, Proposition 50 ranks to be the seventh most expensive ballot measure in California’s history since 1999, according to a report from Ballotpedia.

Implications 

If passed, the proposition would establish temporary congressional districts in 2026 before the midterm elections, giving Democrats an advantage in five swing districts in California. These districts include regions in northern Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County and San Diego. This would challenge the narrowly held GOP majority in Congress, where the Republican majority is just six seats.

In the California government voter guide, critics of the proposition argue the new districts would be drawn by “politicians for politicians” and undo the work of the independent committee that creates nonpartisan district lines. Furthermore, the measure’s effectiveness at winning over or protecting democratic seats is contingent on the outcome of the midterm elections in 2026. 

How to vote

Everyone registered to vote in California will be sent a ballot by mail to their registered address on Oct. 6. Polling places will open for early in-person voting on Oct. 25 in all Voter’s Choice Act counties. SFSU students have access to vote in person on Nov. 4 at the polling place at the Annex 1 or drop off their ballot at the ballot drop box in front of the Mashouf Wellness Center. 

California citizens can register to vote and check voter registration online here. 

Giancarlo Joseph Boccasile, a fourth-year political science student, will be voting in support of Proposition 50. Boccasile said this is a justified response to the legislation passed in Texas. 

“If they’re going to cheat and try to rig the system, and we also have the opportunity to do so, trying to take the higher road is not going to be helpful,” Boccasile said. “We need to fight fire with fire… we can’t have rigged elections in one state but fair elections in ours when it only serves to benefit the Republican Party.”