California’s congressional districts were drawn by the state’s independent Citizens Redistricting Commission in 2021 and are expected to stay in place until 2031. When it drew the district lines, the Commission had to follow certain rules. For example, it was not allowed to draw districts that favor a candidate or political party, and it had to use information from people who live in an area about which neighborhoods should be kept together in the same voting district.

Prop 50 would change the California Constitution to replace maps drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission with new maps drawn by the California State Legislature. The new maps would be used in any congressional election through 2030, including those in 2026, 2028, and 2030. After the 2030 census, the Commission would return to drawing district lines using the rules set out by law. You can find the new and old map at bit.ly/Prop50Maps.

Changing the maps would cost counties up to a few million dollars to update election materials. It would cost the state about $200,000. For the state, that’s less than one-tenth of one percent of its $220 billion budget, which pays for services like schools, health care, and prisons.

People for Prop 50 say:

• Prop 50 is a short-term, temporary emergency plan needed to stop President Trump’s attempt to unfairly rig next year’s congressional election.
• Prop 50 gives voters the ability to approve the district lines in this election.
• Prop 50 creates fair maps that reflect California’s diverse communities and protect our voices from partisan gerrymandering.
• Prop 50 keeps California a leader in fair elections by preserving its independent redistricting system.
• Prop 50 strengthens democracy by making sure that Republicans don’t have an unfair advantage in Congress.

People against Prop 50 say:

• Prop 50 is a power grab by politicians that undoes fair election reforms and returns California to gerrymandered districts that benefit politicians over voters.
• Prop 50 replaces an open public process with secretive political backroom deals.
• Prop 50 hurts fair representation by dividing neighborhoods and weakening minority voices in elections.
• Prop 50 lets politicians control district lines for years and could open the door to permanent, not temporary, control.
• Prop 50 costs taxpayers $200 million when the state is cutting funding to important programs because of budget problems.

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