Prop. 50 Will END Fair Representation in California
Voting Basics
THIS UPCOMING TUESDAY is the special election called by Governor Gavin Newsom on the issue of redistricting! Before we get into all the details of what you are voting on, let me just start by breaking down the details for you so that you know how, where, and when to vote.
You should have received your voter guide, sample ballot, and real ballot earlier this month if you were registered to vote. If you missed the online registration deadline, don’t worry! You can still register and vote in person on Election Day.
If you’re voting by mail, drop it off in a certified ballot box before November 4th, and remember to track it at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov. Alternatively, you can vote in person right now! The polls opened October 25th and will stay open through Election Day. Find your polling place at the Secretary of State’s website, linked below.
That really is all the information you should need – and if you haven’t already voted or haven’t made a plan for in-person voting, then I would encourage you to do so today! Choose what day and what location you will go to, put it on your calendar, and then GO!
My personal recommendation would be to vote in-person, not only because of the question of corruption with mail-in voting, but also because voting in person is SO MUCH FUN and trust me, is so worthwhile. It’s always a reminder to me that voting is a community act that should bring us together as Americans and Californians. The volunteers I have interacted with at the polls have been so kind, so helpful, and so patriotic – regardless of whether or not we agreed or fell along the same party lines. So, make a plan, and plan to go in-person, EARLY, before election day! Do not let ANYTHING get in the way of you making it to the polls!
What is the Core Issue? Redistricting
Now that all of that is covered, we need to ask the question – what is this election about? What is the issue at stake?
Well, you may remember that a few weeks ago we covered the redistricting drama that was going on in both Texas and California. Please go back to that article if you want in-depth coverage of the redistricting fight! But basically, this election was called by Governor Gavin Newsom in an attempt to redistrict California through the legislature rather than through the process set out in our state constitution.
So, let’s back up. What does that mean?
Districts are geographic areas that divide a state or city for political representation. Each district elects its own representative – for example, a member of Congress, a state senator, or a city councilmember – to ensure that people from different parts of the state all have a voice in government. Basically, a district is just a section of the state that votes for its own representative. It’s how California makes sure every region, from big cities to rural towns, has someone speaking for them in government.
The way these districts are drawn in California was actually decided by voters 2008. In 2008 a ballot measure was passed that established an independent, bipartisan commission that would oversee drawing the district maps.[1] This was added into our state constitution and even dictates how the members of the commission are chosen. The reason for this system is to prevent districting from being overly partisan. Now, are there questions as to whether California’s current district map is really fair? Definitely. You can make the argument that California is currently gerrymandered, even with a “bipartisan” commission in charge, but the theory behind the process was to take it out of the hands of our highly partisan legislature.
So, for example, if the members of the legislature, or if our governor don’t like the district maps – maybe they want more seats for their political party – our state constitution protects the people against the state being redistricted according to the whims of whoever is in power.
What you are voting on in this election is whether or not that process should be upheld and followed or changed for the next 5 to 6 years. To vote YES on Proposition 50 would means that our legislature – who is not bipartisan – would redraw the district maps, and those maps would be used for the 2026 midterm elections, the 2028 presidential election, AND the 2030 midterms as well.
As it stands right now, Republicans only hold 9 out of 52 seats in the House of Representatives.[2] Governor Newsom has vowed that if Proposition 50 passes, he will make sure that our legislature will redistrict the state so that Republicans hold even fewer seats – just 4 out of 52 seats.[3] This means that conservative representation for California in Congress would decrease by 5 seats, which is just huge.
Why Should You Care?
This is a really important issue, and I want to emphasize to you why you should care, either as a conservative OR even as a democrat, because this issue actually matters for you regardless of your political party.
To my fellow conservatives, it seems pretty obvious why this is a big deal. We cannot lose any inch of representation that we have in our government! We are already in an extreme minority here in California, but can you imagine losing an entire 5 PEOPLE in the house of representatives? It is completely ridiculous to think that the 40% of the population in California who voted for President Trump in the last election,[4] and the 25% share of registered Republicans that we looked at last week in our state, would be represented by just 4 out of 52 seats. Do that math! That means that 40% of the population who aligned with Republicans in 2024 get just 7% of the representation in our federal government. How does that make sense? How is that fair? The answer is that it’s not. Gavin Newsom DOES NOT CARE about you being fairly represented in government – all he cares about is advancing his political agenda and adding to his political party. He criticizes Trump for doing that, but then he turns around and does the same thing!
This is outrageous. We should NOT be apathetic about this! He took an oath to represent the people of California, to look out for our interests, to GOVERN us, and yet he is completely spitting in the faces of 40% of his state, and saying their representation does not matter more than his political games. DO NOT LET HIM OFF THE HOOK. I don’t care if you think elections are rigged, or if you think your vote doesn’t matter – VOTE ANYWAY. You have the power to make your voice heard on this. Call him out on his bad behavior. Curb his power. Prevent him from gerrymandering our state even further and taking votes away from YOU.
And to my Democrat friends – this is not a partisan issue. This is a matter of upholding and defending the process that voters – that the people of this state – put in place to defend against abuse of political power. If you had a conservative governor, you would not like it if he or she unconstitutionally gerrymandered our state to take representation away from you that was disproportionate to your share of the population. You would not think that is fair. Please do not support doing the same thing to the other side just because you disagree with them.
I believe that your voice is valuable and that representation for your side matters – because you make up much of the population here in California! I most likely disagree with you on many things, but I do not agree that your representation should be stripped away by anyone.
This special election is not about Donald Trump – do not let your emotions or feelings toward our President be manipulated into supporting a measure that will only affect the people in your state. This won’t affect Trump, this will just hurt fellow Americans who deserve to be heard just as much as you do!
Instead, let’s debate our ideas. Let’s talk to each other about why we vote the way we do, why we support the candidates we do, and why we think certain policies are helpful or harmful. Let’s trust the voting process to fairly represent the people who show up to the polls. But what we should not do is rig the game, change the rules, and hurt one side of the political aisle who is literally already in the minority.
Whether you are conservative or liberal, whether you like Gavin Newsom or hate him, whether you like Trump or not – you absolutely must vote NO on Proposition 50! Because all Californians deserve the fair representation guaranteed to them by our state and federal constitution.
Current Voter Turnout & Final CALL TO VOTE
Where does voter turnout currently stand for Prop. 50? As of October 16th, 7.8% of the ballots sent out to California voters had been returned. So far only 3.5% of the returned ballots are from Republicans.[5] Now, at the time of that data, it was still before in-person voting opened and it was still fairly early. At this point we are much further along, with in-person voting open as well. But, regardless, if voter turnout continued at this pace, we are on track to LOSE this special election.
This means it is SO SO IMPORTANT for you to get out and vote, TODAY, and to take someone with you! Grab a friend, grab a family member, bug your church members – but get every single person you know to vote! We cannot lose this just because we didn’t care or because the people around us weren’t informed.
Thomas Jefferson put it perfectly when he said, “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” California will only continue down the path it is on if we as conservatives do nothing.
And as George Washington said: “The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”
Our state has been entrusted into your hands. Apathy is how free people lose what they love. If we believe California is worth saving, then we have to act like it. Vote today.
Resources:
Same-day Voter Registration Information: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg
Find your polling place! https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place
LA County Locator: https://locator.lavote.gov/locations/vc?culture=en
References:
[1] Kamal, Sameea. “California Redistricting 101: What You Need to Know.” CalMatters, December 26, 2021. https://calmatters.org/politics/2021/11/california-redistricting-what-you-need-to-know/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22173057336&gbraid=0AAAAADM7b5cF561vElakTj0x59UmujFox&gclid=CjwKCAjw0sfHBhB6EiwAQtv5qbH7l0mldogXhrXkFypRaYHcFM0AE77CHGF8TVEjiaQlj8EFuWEuGhoCeboQAvD_BwE.
[2] Blood, Michael R. “California Could Slash 5 GOP US House Seats to Counter Texas’ Move to Pad Republican Margin.” KCRA, August 6, 2025. https://www.kcra.com/article/california-redistricting-5-us-house-seats-texas/65603872.
[3] Blood, “California Could Slash 5 GOP US House Seats to Counter Texas’ Move to Pad Republican Margin,” August 6, 2025.
[4] Politico. “Kamala Harris Wins California,” July 29, 2025. https://www.politico.com/2024-election/results/california/.
[5] Macht, Daniel. “About 1.8 Million Ballots Turned in for California Special Election on Prop 50, Data Firm Says.” KCRA, October 17, 2025. https://www.kcra.com/article/california-special-election-prop-50-ballot-data/69074803.
