Californians are going to the polls in a special election Nov. 4 to decide whether to approve Proposition 50 — a proposal to temporarily redraw the state’s congressional district lines.
A highly contentious issue is in the hands of voters in California. Eligible residents are going to the polls in a special election Nov. 4 to decide whether to approve Proposition 50 — a proposal to temporarily redraw the state’s congressional district lines.
The Golden State hopes to offset a move by Texas that was designed to create more Republican seats in the House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections.
If passed, California Gov. Gavin Newsom hopes more Democratic seats will be gained in the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections.
California voters who mark their ballot “yes” are saying they want California to redraw its congressional districts to give Democrats a potential advantage in the US House of Representatives.
“No” voters are saying they want California’s congressional district lines to remain as they were drawn by the state’s nonpartisan citizen redistricting commission.
But just like the division of politics, it’s pitting neighborhood against neighborhood.Rural versus urban
A Berkshire Hathaway heir has poured millions of dollars to fight Newsom’s redistricting plan. Charlie Munger Jr. has spent millions of his late father’s money to stop the plan he says will “gerrymander” the state in favor of Democrats.
In an op-ed for The New York Times, Munger wrote, “Gerrymanders are a cancer, and mid-decade gerrymanders are a metastasis.”
In certain parts of California, concerns stem from district lines that would be redrawn affecting neighboring rural and urban areas.
For example, in San Diego County, the rural town of Lakeside has a population of nearly 22,000, according to Data USA, and is represented by longtime Republican Rep. Darrell Issa. The nearby city of El Cajon, with a population of 106,000, is represented by Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs.
