Vote YES on Proposition 50 on November 4th!

Why Prop 50 Matters for California – and the Nation

This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 50, the Election Rigging Response Act – a measure that temporarily adjusts how redistricting is handled in our state. Let’s be clear: the gold standard for drawing legislative districts is a truly independent, citizen-led redistricting commission like we have had since first used in our 2012 elections. That’s the process California pioneered, and it’s one of the fairest in the nation.

But this year, the stakes are different.

Across the country, Republicans are using redistricting as a weapon. States like Texas, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri and Florida are now attempting to draw new designed to lock in Republican control for a generation. They are not even trying to hide it! The Texas legislature has voted to reconfigure 5 Democratic-held districts to favor Republican. The Missouri legislature is redrawing its state’s map in order to target the one Democratic-held seat in the US House before next year’s midterm elections.  Indiana is attempting to eliminate its only two Democratic districts. Ohio is considering new maps that would add 2-3 additional Republican seats. And Florida is looking to add additional Republican seats to shore up their already lopsided 20-8 Republican congressional majority.

This isn’t democracy. It’s election rigging. And they aren’t even trying to hide it.

Why Prop 50 Is Necessary

President Trump and his allies have pushed GOP lawmakers to engage in gerrymandering to prevent Democrats from taking control of the House during the final two years of his presidency.

Prop 50 is California’s response: a temporary measure, expiring with the next Census, that allows us to “fight fire with fire.” We don’t want to abandon citizen-led redistricting—far from it. But with Republicans openly rigging the game in other states, we can’t afford to sit on our hands and watch them tip the scales permanently.

Some critics—including our own Congressman Tom McClintock—will argue this is “Democrats cheating.” But let’s remember: McClintock has never met a gerrymander he didn’t like if it meant entrenching Republican power. He supports what Texas is doing. He has stood by while Republican states suppress mail-in voting, restrict ballot access, and even deploy intimidation tactics like ICE agents at public events.

So, let’s call it like it is: McClintock wants one set of rules for Republicans and another for everyone else. That’s not fairness—that’s rigging the system.

Prop 50 is not a permanent solution, nor is it the ideal. What it is, however, is a necessary step to ensure California voters aren’t silenced by extreme gerrymandering elsewhere.

A Path Forward

The good news is Prop 50 includes built-in accountability: it expires with the next Census. At that time, we should push California to once again lead the way nationally—this time with a referendum to ban gerrymandering across the board. That’s the real solution. That’s the future we should all be working toward.  But unless we regain the majority in Congress in 2026, it is entirely likely we will NEVER get another chance to right this ship – as anti-democracy forces will have entrenched their minority rule for a generation or more.

But until then, Prop 50 is the firewall that prevents Republicans from permanently dismantling representation in Congress.

What You Can Do

This fight won’t be won in Sacramento or Washington—it will be won right here in our communities. Here’s how you can get involved:

• Write postcards with the Calaveras Democrats to educate voters about Prop 50.
• Volunteer to help phone bank or canvass.
• Share this message on social media to spread the word.
• Donate if you can—every dollar helps counter the flood of money Republicans are pouring into this fight.

This is our moment of truth. Ballots drop in just a few weeks. We cannot let apathy or confusion hand victory to those who would silence our voices.

Let’s protect our democracy, protect fair representation, and vote YES on Prop 50.

More information about Prop 50 HERE