Proposition 50 Aims To Redraw California's Congressional Distrcts

Election day is coming up and one of the most controversial proposals this year is Proposition 50. This proposition authorizes temporary changes to district maps, which supports redistricting commissions across the nation. The main goal of Prop 50 is to create a map that puts more Democrats in power. The proponents and opponents of this proposition both agree that the new map will keep cities and counties together, which will result in better representation and keep similar communities under the same congressperson.

If voters vote yes on Prop 50, the states would immediately use the new maps that were drawn by the legislature starting 2026. The new maps would be used until 2030, when the next Census will happen. Supporters of this proposition aim to rig the next election. They plan to do this to “counter” Trump’s scheme to rig the next congressional election. Larry Lange, government teacher at Kennedy said, “It evens the playing field nationally, because again, Texas is already gerrymandering their maps, picking up potentially six seats. And so this is just supposed to be a counteraction to this”. By voting for this, California will remain a Democratic state.

On the other hand, voting no would mean that the maps would stay the same until the 2030 U.S. Census. Kevin Lydon, an English teacher at Kennedy, said that Prop 50 is "taking away representation in certain areas”. Those that are against this proposition claim that voting no also ensures that the elections are still fair. “It lessens democracy at a state level”, added Lange. Additionally, it bans maps that are designed to favor a specific political candidate.

Lydon believes that the pros outweigh the cons. He says, “right now, our country is undergoing a silent coup with this government shut down and they’re using this as an opportunity to change the rules that might not be irrevocable. States need to do what they have to do to remain and to maintain their power as a state over the federal government’s authority.”

As of Nov. 6, Prop 50 was passed in California after the election on Nov. 4. According to NPR, 63.9 percent of the ballot voted for Prop 50, showing a strong demand from Californians to gain additional congressional districts to balance out seats in Congress for Democrats.