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VOTE! LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

Mountain View News Saturday, October 25, 2025

STATEWIDE SPECIAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 4, 2025

 

The last day to register to vote for the November 4, 2025, Statewide Special Election is October 20, 2025.

All California active registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 4, 2025, Statewide Special Election.

Your county elections office began mailing ballots on October 6, 2025.

Ballot drop-off locations opened on October 7, 2025.

Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned by mail, at a drop-off location, or your county elections office.

To make sure your ballot is counted, return it early by mail, drop box, or vote center. If you mail it, do it early — or walk it into the post office 
and request a postmark.

Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties beginning on October 25, 2025.

Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by November 12, 2025.

VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 50 TO 
PROTECT CALIFORNIA’S VOICE AND 
OUR DEMOCRACY

This Fight Is About Far More Than District 
Boundaries

Ballots are arriving in mailboxes across Santa 
Barbara County right now, and with them 
comes one of the most important decisions 
Californians will make this year: Whether to 
approve Proposition 50 and defend the integrity 
of our democracy.

The stakes could not be higher. Across the 
country, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans 
are redrawing congressional maps to 
entrench their power and silence communities 
like ours. Texas, Florida, and Ohio have 
already begun unprecedented mid-decade 
redistricting to seize additional seats in the 
House of Representatives. These are not 
routine adjustments based on population 
changes or court orders — they are blatantly 
partisan maneuvers designed to rig the game 
before the 2026 elections.

This fight is about far more than district 
boundaries. It is about who has power in 
America and whose voices count.

Trump and congressional Republicans have 
already shown what they’ll do when they 
control Washington:

• They denied wildfire relief to California 
communities after devastating blazes.

• They tried to strip millions of Americans of 
healthcare.

• They imposed reckless tariffs that raised 
prices and hurt working families.

• They weaponized immigration raids and 
terrorized neighborhoods up and down our 
state.

Now, they’re trying to cement those policies 
permanently through redistricting. If 
we allow them to gerrymander their way to a 
permanent majority, California’s priorities — 
clean energy, reproductive freedom, worker 
protections, affordable healthcare — will be 
on the chopping block.

California has always stood as a beacon of 
democracy, fairness, and inclusion. But when 
other states change the rules during the game, 
refusing to act is not neutrality — it’s surrender. 
Proposition 50 is California’s answer: a 
measured, transparent, voter-approved safeguard 
that ensures our state can protect fair 
representation in Congress.

What does Prop 50 do?

Prop 50 allows California to redraw our own 
congressional districts once, outside of the 
typical timeline — subject to approval by voters 
in a statewide election. This adjustment 
would apply only to the 2026, 2028, and 2030 
elections. After that, the Independent Citizens 
Redistricting Commission — created 
by voters and widely respected for its fairness 
— would resume its full duties following the 
next Census.

The measure does not eliminate or weaken 
the independent commission. Instead, it recognizes 
that we are living in a new and dangerous 
era of election manipulation. Prop 50 
preserves the commission’s work while allowing 
California to defend itself when others 
break faith with democracy. Furthermore, 
Prop 50 calls on Congress to adopt a nationwide 
requirement for independent redistricting 
systems.

Prop 50 restores balance. It ensures that if 
Trump-aligned governors redraw lines to 
create more safe Republican seats, California 
can respond in kind — within the law, transparently, 
and with voter oversight.

Critics claim Proposition 50 “overturns the 
will of the voters” who created the independent 
commission. That’s false. Prop 50 does 
not abolish the commission. It temporarily 
empowers voters themselves to approve a fair 
congressional map in our present extraordinary 
circumstances.

The commission will continue to exist, and 
its principles — transparency, fairness, diversity, 
and compliance with the Voting Rights 
Act — remain intact. The maps created under 
Prop 50 must still meet the same legal and 
ethical standards that guide the commission 
today.

Democracy depends on checks and balances 
— not on congressional and judicial acquiescence 
to a rogue president. Prop 50 is about 
maintaining that balance.

Why is it our job to fight back?

From civil rights to climate policy, California 
has never waited for Washington to act. We 
lead because we must.

Our state pioneered mail-in voting, automatic 
voter registration, and nonpartisan redistricting. 
Prop 50 is in that same spirit — a proactive 
step to safeguard our representation and 
strengthen democracy when it’s under direct 
attack.

The measure also reaffirms California’s support 
for independent redistricting nationwide 
and for full transparency in any future 
process. It contains a sunset clause ensuring 
that after 2030, the independent commission 
resumes control of redistricting.

In short: this is a one-time, voter-approved 
measure to protect fairness, not to undermine 
it.

What do we need to do?

This is a moment for resolve. California’s 
values — our diversity, our compassion, our 
commitment to fairness — are all under siege. 
Trump and his allies are redrawing the map 
of America to silence us. Proposition 50 gives 
us a lawful, democratic way to fight back.

So here’s what we’re asking you to do:

1) Check your mailbox for your ballot.

2) Vote YES on Proposition 50 and sign your 
envelope.

PROP 50 AUTHORIZES TEMPORARY CHANGES TO CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT MAPS IN RESPONSE 
TO TEXAS’ PARTISAN REDISTRICTING. LEGISLATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

SUMMARY

Put on the Ballot by the Legislature

Requires temporary use of new congressional district maps through 2030. Directs independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to resume 
enacting congressional district maps in 2031. Establishes policy supporting nonpartisan redistricting commissions nationwide. Fiscal Impact: 
One-time costs to counties of up to a few million dollars statewide to update election materials to reflect new congressional district maps.

WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS

YES

A YES vote on this measure means: The state would use new, legislatively 
drawn congressional district maps starting in 2026. California’s 
new maps would be used until the California Citizens Redistricting 
Commission draws new maps following the 2030 U.S. Census.

NO

A NO vote on this measure means: Current congressional district 
maps drawn by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission 
(Commission) would continue to be used in California until the Commission 
draws new maps following the 2030 U.S. Census. 

ARGUMENTS

PRO

Proposition 50—The Election Rigging Response Act—approves temporary, 
emergency congressional district maps to counter Donald Trump’s scheme to 
rig next year’s congressional election and reaffirms California’s commitment 
to independent, nonpartisan redistricting after the next census. Vote Yes on 
50 for democracy in all 50 states. Learn more at StopElectionRigging.com.

CON

Prop. 50 was written by politicians, for politicians—dismantling safeguards 
that keep elections fair, removes requirements to keep local communities 
together, and eliminates voter protections that ban maps designed to favor 
political parties. Vote NO to protect fair elections and keep citizens—not 
politicians—in charge of redistricting.

ANALYSIS BY THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST

BACKGROUND

U.S. CONGRESS

U.S. Congress. The U.S. Congress is the part of the federal government 
that makes laws. Congress has two parts: the U.S. Senate and the 
U.S. House of Representatives (House). Each of the 50 states is represented 
by 2 senators, with 100 senators in total. The House has 435 
members. The number of representatives in the House for each state 
depends on how many people live in that state. Each member in the 
House represents an area of the state called a congressional district. 
California currently has 52 congressional districts. Voters who live in 
each congressional district elect one member of the House every two 
years to represent them. The next election for all 435 representatives 
will be in 2026.

U.S. Census Counts States’ Populations Every Ten Years. The number 
of people living in an area goes up and down over time. Every ten 
years, the U.S. Census counts the number of people who live in the 
U.S. The last census was in 2020, and the next census is in 2030. This 
count is used to determine how many people live in each state and 
how many representatives in the House each state gets for the next 
ten years.

CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING

Each State Draws Congressional District Maps Following the U.S. 
Census. Every ten years, after the U.S. Census is completed, states 
draw new congressional district maps to reflect their number of House 
representatives and where people live. This process is called “redistricting.” 
Each state decides what process to use to draw its new district 
maps. When drawing new maps, each state must follow federal 
laws. For example, each congressional district in the state must represent 
about the same number of people.

States Typically Do Not Redistrict Sooner Than Every Ten Years. 
States typically only draw congressional district maps every ten years, 
unless a court orders changes to comply with the law. In August 2025, 
however, the Texas Legislature passed a bill to adopt new maps for 
the 2026 elections without a court order. Several other states also are 
considering changes to their maps before the 2026 elections.

Congressional Redistricting in California. State legislatures draw congressional 
district maps in most states, but some states use commissions 
to do this job. Before 2010, the California Legislature drew the 
state’s congressional district maps. In 2010, California voters gave this 
job to an independent commission known as the California Citizens 
Redistricting Commission (Commission). The Commission includes 
14 members: 5 Democratic members, 5 Republican members, and 4 
members who are not registered with either of those political parties. 
When the Commission draws new congressional district maps, it must 
follow federal and state laws. For example, state law requires, among 
other things, the Commission to avoid splitting up neighborhoods or 
local communities of interest to the extent possible. State law also 
prohibits the Commission from considering political parties, current 
office holders, or people running for office when it draws the maps.

Current California Congressional Districts. The Commission drew the 
current maps for California’s 52 congressional districts. These maps 
were based on the 2020 U.S. Census and have been used since the 
2022 congressional elections.

PROPOSAL

CALIFORNIA’S CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT MAPS

Use Legislatively Drawn Congressional District Maps Until After the 
Next Census. Proposition 50 replaces California’s current congressional 
district maps with new, legislatively drawn maps. (The total number 
of districts would not change.) Proposition 50’s maps must follow 
federal law, but they are not required to follow the state requirements 
placed on the Commission. The state would use Proposition 50’s maps 
for congressional elections starting in 2026. The state would use these 
maps until the Commission draws new district maps, following the 
2030 U.S. Census.

NATIONAL CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING

Call for Change in Federal Law. Proposition 50 asks the U.S. Congress 
to change federal law and propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution 
to require redistricting be done by “fair, independent, and nonpartisan 
redistricting commissions nationwide.” Proposition 50 expresses 
voter support for this idea, but does not change federal law or require 
any particular action of Congress or the California Legislature.

FISCAL EFFECTS

Minor One-Time Costs to County and State Elections Officials. Counties 
run elections, and the state oversees them. Because most congressional 
districts in California would change at least some under the 
new maps, county and state elections officials would need to update 
election materials. This would result in one-time costs to counties of 
up to a few million dollars statewide and one-time costs to the state of 
roughly $200,000. The state amount is much less than one-tenth of 1 
percent (0.1 percent) of the state’s roughly $220 billion General Fund 
budget. (The General Fund is the account the state uses to pay for most 
public services, including education, health care, and prisons.)

CURRENT AND PROPOSED CONGRESSIONAL 
DISTRICT MAPS

A description of the census blocks represented by each district in 
the proposed maps can be found at the following website: 

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.
xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB604

Visit sos.ca.gov/campaign-lobbying/cal-access-resources/measure-
contributions/2025-ballot-measure-contribution-totals 
for a list of committees primarily formed to support or oppose 
this measure.

Visit fppc.ca.gov/transparency/top-contributors.html to access 
the committee's top 10 contributors.

SOURCE: 

California Secretary of State - Elections Information

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FOR

Governor Gavin Newsom

Yes on 50, The Election Rigging Response Act,

Governor Newsom’s Ballot Measure Committee

555 Capitol Mall, Suite 400

Sacramento, CA 95814

info@stopelectionrigging.com

StopElectionRigging.com

AGAINST

No on Prop. 50—Protect

Voters First, Sponsored by

Hold Politicians Accountable

2350 Kerner Blvd., Suite 250

San Rafael, CA 94901

(916) 446-6572

info@votersfirstact.org 

VotersFirstAct.org


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com