Summary
- California voters are casting ballots in a special election.
- Key issue is Proposition 50, a redistricting measure.
- Proposition aims to redraw districts favoring Democratic candidates.
From the conservative, rural North State to the liberal enclaves along California's coast, many people are upset, angry, and eager to rebel against President Donald Trump or Governor Gavin Newsom. This is all happening with only a few weeks until the crucial election on November 4.
The U.S. House of Representatives is narrowly controlled by Republicans, and the party in the White House usually does poorly in midterm elections.
While a Democratic majority invites congressional probes, legislative standstill, and perhaps a third Trump impeachment, a Trump-friendly U.S. House might enable the president to carry out one of the most aggressive and disruptive agendas in modern presidential history.
Prop. 50 in California aims to allow the legislature to redistrict the state's congressional districts until 2030 in order to add five seats that are more Democratically lean.
The five new Republican-leaning congressional districts that Texas established earlier this year at Trump's insistence might be effectively nullified if the measure is approved. Democrats in Illinois, Maryland, and New York, as well as Republicans in Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio, are considering taking similar steps. The most current redistricting effort is being led by Republicans in North Carolina.
The California Department of Finance estimates that the battle over Prop. 50 will cost taxpayers $282.6 million, making it one of the most costly ballot battles in the state's history.
Prop. 50 candidates have raised $127.5 million so far, according to state data as of Oct. 7. To date, those opposing it have raised $78 million.
Californians are proud of the commission, but also overwhelmingly disapprove of Trump and fear for the future of the country, said Mark Baldassare, survey director at the Public Policy Institute of California and a leading expert on California voter opinion.
"My sense is that this really puts voters in a difficult situation where there is a policy which the voters passed, which they feel relatively good about, but they don't feel very good about what's going on right now,"
he said.
California voters have a history of revisiting constitutional amendments, and passing temporary measures when needed. They also tend to vote in large numbers for special elections, he said.
“Keep the district the way it is,”
he said.
Eddie Alamillo, a county mosquito-control worker, cast his vote at 8 a.m. at the Ventura voting center. He chose a paper ballot over a touchscreen to make sure no one can question that the vote in favor of the proposition is his.
He sees his vote as a way to counter Texas redistricting.
“This wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for that,”
he said, noting California’s proposal will be decided by a vote of the people.
“The system is rigged in Texas, and that is dead wrong.”
Bailey St. Louis, 30, of Oxnard, didn’t vote in the 2024 presidential election and is determined to cast a ballot in the special election even though she knows nothing about the proposal aside from a YouTube ad in support of the measure.
“It’s my civic duty,”
she said.
If she decides the election is a referendum on Trump once she's done her research, she’ll likely vote for the proposition.
“Anything against Trump would be the vote,”
she said.
Portia Wofford, a 45-year-old nurse in Los Angeles, said she is a registered Republican but will vote yes on Prop. 50, primarily because Newson is pushing for it.
“I love his swagger, his look, his demeanor, everything about Gavin Newsom,’’
she said.
Also, Wofford said she thinks it’s fair for California to respond to redistricting in Texas.
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,’’
Wofford said.
What are the main arguments from both supporters and opponents of Proposition 50?
The primary defense of Proposition 50 addresses plans by Republicans in other states, such as Texas, to aggressively gerrymander districts which could provide a substantial head start for the GOP in the 2026 midterms.
Proponents, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and major Democrats such as Barack Obama, contend that Prop 50 restores fairness by enabling the Democrats’ controlled state legislature to redraw congressional districts to keep them competitive and in line with the state’s demographics.
They view it as a necessary temporary emergency measure to protect democracy and prevent a Republican overreach while maintaining California’s commitment to fair, equitable elections. Further, supporters emphasize that Prop 50 will enable voters to approve new maps while preventing Republicans from taking away seats that could diminish a minority voice.