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46m ago

California Opens Voting on Prop. 50, a Temporary Remap With National House Stakes

California’s special election tests a Democratic push to counter Texas by shelving the state’s independent redistricting commission through 2030.

Governor of California Gavin Newsom speaks during the Clinton Global Initiative on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A sample ballot is pictured before early voting starts in California's statewide special election, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats are pushing Prop 50, also known as the Election Rigging Response Act, in response to a "Republican power grab orchestrated by President Trump and state leaders in Texas, who redrew Congressional district lines to gain five more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives."(MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP)
A woman walking to a polling center in Provo, Utah, on November 6, 2018. A Utah state representative has been accused of trying to "steal" an election after his bid to remove Governor Spencer Cox from office failed.

Overview

  • Mail ballots are going out statewide, ballot drop boxes are open, and early in‑person voting ramps up this month for the Nov. 4 election, with results reported beginning Election Night and certification due by Dec. 12.
  • Proposition 50 would pause maps drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission for the 2026–2030 cycles and use legislature-crafted lines that supporters say answer Texas Republicans’ mid‑decade redraw.
  • Public polling in late August through early October shows plurality to majority support, and analysts say passage could flip up to five GOP‑held U.S. House seats and influence control of the chamber in 2026.
  • Opponents label the measure a partisan power grab that discards independent maps and stitches together distant communities, citing examples like Modoc County paired with Marin County.
  • President Trump has announced a Department of Justice lawsuit, campaigns are drawing tens of millions of dollars with high‑profile backers on both sides, and state officials advise voters to use drop boxes or obtain a postmark if mailing on Election Day.