On November 4th (Tuesday), California held a special election where the focus of the voters was only on one important issue – Proposition 50. As of the preliminary vote count as of 8:59 pm on Tuesday, voters approved the proposition, agreeing to have the State Legislature redraw the Congressional districts for the years 2026-2030.
Proposition 50 was proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom of the California Democratic Party with the aim of expanding the influence of the Democratic Party in the U.S. House of Representatives by potentially converting up to five seats currently held by Republicans to Democratic control.
California voters exhibited a high level of interest in this special election. According to statistics from the Secretary of State’s office, as of Monday, out of approximately 23 million registered voters in California, over 7.2 million voters (30.2%) had cast their votes through mail-in and early voting.
On Tuesday, hundreds of polling stations were opened across California, with many voters rushing to cast their ballots on the last day; by 8 pm that evening, all polling stations were closed, officially ending the election voting process.
Over the next month, county election officials will officially tally the votes, with the final election results set to be announced on December 12th. As of 8:59 pm on Tuesday, the Secretary of State’s website had counted 44.8% of the votes, with preliminary results showing that 64.7% of voters cast their ballots in support, while 35.3% opposed, with approximately 7 million votes cast statewide.
A “Yes” vote by the voters allows the State Legislature to redraw the districts between 2026 and 2030, removing the power of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to redraw the district lines as well as the existing district maps.
A “No” vote opposes amending the state law, maintaining the district lines revised by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission in 2021 until a redistricting is done post-2030.
Currently, the California delegation in the House of Representatives comprises 43 Democrats and only 9 Republicans. If Proposition 50 is ultimately confirmed, in the 2026 elections, it could potentially lead to an increase of 5 Democratic seats in Congress from California, while strengthening the advantage of Democratic incumbents in other fiercely contested districts.
If the California Democrats succeed in increasing seats in Congress, it could have a direct impact on the overall makeup of the entire Congress. Presently, there is a slim margin between the two parties in the House of Representatives: 219 seats for the Republicans and 213 seats for the Democrats.
Since its introduction, Proposition 50 has been surrounded by controversy. One viewpoint suggests that if the state government redraws the districts in a manner to maximize the interests of each party, the election results would no longer represent the will of the people and essentially disenfranchise voters of their voting and election rights.
Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger once expressed during an event that this redistricting agenda would erode democratic principles, allowing politicians to “strip the people of their rights.”
Supporters of Proposition 50 from the Democratic Party have stated that the proposition aims to retaliate against the favorable redistricting plans advancing in Texas, benefiting the Republican Party.
In 2008, California voters approved a constitutional amendment through a ballot initiative, transferring redistricting authority to the politically neutral “California Citizens Redistricting Commission.” Following the passage of the state law amendment by voter initiative, the California Legislature and Governor were stripped of the power to participate in redistricting.
However, in order to advance an agenda favorable to the Democratic Party and respond to the new redistricting plan passed by the Texas Republicans in August, Newsom signed a bill on August 21 authorizing a statewide referendum. Previously, the California Legislature quickly passed the referendum proposal at a special session called by Newsom.
Proposition 50 sets aside the district map established by the independent commission and replaces it with a map redrawn by Democrats, potentially benefiting Democratic candidates.