On November 4, 2025, Californians voted on Proposition 50, a legislative constitutional amendment that would require the state to use new, legislatively drawn congressional maps through 2030 in response to Texas’s mid‑decade redistricting. Backers say the plan answers a Trump‑backed GOP push in Texas; analysts forecast it could shift as many as five U.S. House seats, though the commission would resume control in 2031.
Proposition 50 would temporarily replace California’s current congressional map with lines enacted by the Legislature in August 2025, to be used for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections. The ballot measure specifies that the state’s independent Citizens Redistricting Commission would resume drawing congressional districts after the 2030 census, beginning with the 2031 cycle. The Attorney General’s title and summary describe it as a response to Texas’s mid‑decade partisan redistricting and estimate one‑time county costs to update election materials. (voterguide.sos.ca.gov)
The measure arrives amid a broader national battle over maps. In Texas, Republican lawmakers—after public encouragement from President Donald Trump—advanced and signed into law a mid‑cycle congressional remap designed to net the GOP up to five additional seats. California’s Democratic leadership pitched Prop. 50 as a limited, temporary counter to that move. (apnews.com)
Supporters include Governor Gavin Newsom and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. The official “pro” argument in the state voter guide calls Prop. 50 “temporary, emergency congressional district maps to counter Donald Trump’s scheme to rig next year’s congressional election” and affirms a return to nonpartisan redistricting after the next census. Pelosi has framed the effort as “self‑defense for our democracy,” while stressing the commission will regain authority in 2031. (voterguide.sos.ca.gov)
Opponents—among them Republicans such as Rep. Doug LaMalfa and Rep. Kevin Kiley—argue the measure is a partisan power grab that weakens voter‑approved safeguards and community protections. The official “con” argument says the proposal dismantles rules that keep cities and counties together and “eliminates voter protections that ban maps designed to favor political parties.” LaMalfa has urged a no vote, calling the plan “blatant” and warning it could dilute GOP‑leaning districts. (voterguide.sos.ca.gov)
The potential stakes are significant. Nonpartisan and national outlets have reported that the California plan could help Democrats gain as many as five seats if voters approve it—roughly mirroring Republicans’ projected gains from Texas. (reuters.com)
Money has poured in on both sides. Public filings show major pro‑Prop. 50 funding from House Majority PAC and George Soros’s Fund for Policy Reform, while major opposition money includes tens of millions from Charles Munger Jr. State transparency dashboards and independent analyses indicate the “yes” side entered late October with a fundraising edge, even as both campaigns drew eight‑figure support. (fppc.ca.gov)
Polling ahead of Election Day showed the measure leading. Late‑October surveys from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and the Public Policy Institute of California found majority support among likely voters, though views remained polarized by party. (igs.berkeley.edu)
Voter sentiment has been complex. In interviews gathered by NPR member stations, some Democrats said they dislike gerrymandering in principle but view Prop. 50 as a temporary response to GOP actions in other states; Republicans warned it would erode their already limited representation in California. (kvpr.org)
Election Day for the statewide special election was Tuesday, November 4, 2025; county officials began mailing vote‑by‑mail ballots on October 6, and the registration deadline was October 20, per the Secretary of State. (voterguide.sos.ca.gov)
