By Melanie Slone
“Redistricting” is the process of redrawing districts for each government body that uses district elections, including the U.S. House of Representatives, state legislatures, county boards of supervisors, city councils, school boards, and special districts, according to the League of Women Voters of California (LVW). Inhabitants of each district vote for their representatives.
An independent redistricting commission had handled redistricting in California. Now, a state constitutional amendment would put new maps into effect for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections. There has been talk of resuming the independent commission after the 2030 Census.
The special election to decide the redistricting (Proposition 50) will take place on November 4. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has stated that the measure is in direct response to the Republican effort to redistrict in Texas. The push began when President Donald Trump declared that he was “entitled” to five more GOP (Republican) seats in Texas. He demanded that Texas redraw the congressional map, and when the state agreed, Newsom said California would do the same for Democrat seats.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (Democrat, District 29) said,“California Democrats will not allow Trump’s Republican Party to rig the system and take permanent control of the U.S. House of Representatives. We will do whatever it takes to defend our democracy. We will do whatever it takes to protect the voices, the votes, and the rights of every American.”
Meanwhile, James Gallagher, California Assembly Republican Leader, from District 3, says, “I see this as an attack on our constitutional framework. The will of the people, expressed in law, cannot be overridden for partisan gain. If this precedent is set, any party in power will feel entitled to rewrite the rules whenever it benefits them.”
Both sides have prepared their arguments in the Voter Information Guide, which registered voters should receive in the mail by October 14, and is online. The Spanish online version will be available on October 6. It is very important for all voters to read the guide carefully and make sure you understand what a yes or no vote would mean.
