October 30, 2025
“We’re Asking the Voters to Have a Say”: Inside California’s Redistricting Fight
By Nic Wong
Proposition 50 is an opportunity to “restore fairness in our democratic process,” according to organizers, by countering gerrymandering in other states.
Zoya Alam, Rani Chor, and Amara McEvoy
This November, California voters will decide who gets the power to draw the state’s political maps.
Proposition 50, which appears on the 2025 ballot, would amend California’s Constitution to give the legislature temporary authority to redraw the state’s congressional districts. If passed, it would suspend the work of the state’s current Independent Redistricting Commission for the next three election cycles, before returning control to the commission in 2030.
Supporters describe Prop. 50 as a short-term correction meant to safeguard representation after Republican-led states such as Texas, Florida, and Ohio passed aggressive redistricting laws. Former president Barack Obama and Governor Gavin Newsom have publicly backed the initiative, framing it as a necessary counterweight to Republican redistricting efforts.
At its core, Prop. 50 raises fundamental questions about how democracy functions in California and beyond: Who should hold the pen when political power is being divided?
