ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 50

STOP TRUMP FROM RIGGING THE 2026 ELECTION

Donald Trump and Texas Republicans are making an unprecedented power grab to steal congressional seats and rig the 2026 election before voting even begins.

Other Republican states are following suit. They want to steal enough seats to control Congress even if voters overwhelmingly reject their agenda.

This isn’t politics as usual. It’s an emergency for our democracy.

ENSURE FAIR REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS

We have already seen how Trump has recklessly imposed tariffs and hurt California families, denied disaster assistance to fire victims, and ordered mass arrests without warrants. The 2026 election for Congress represents our only chance to provide an essential check and balance on Trump’s dangerous agenda.

If Californians don’t act now, Donald Trump will seize total power for two more years. Proposition 50, the Election Rigging Response Act, will put a stop to their anti-democratic scheme. Here’s what it does.

• LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD. Prop. 50 makes sure the 2026 mid-term elections are conducted on a level playing field without an unfair advantage for Republicans.
• COMMITS TO FAIR REDISTRICTING. Prop. 50 reaffirms California’s commitment to independent redistricting and calls for a nationwide commitment to fair and impartial maps.
• GIVES VOTERS THE POWER. Prop. 50 puts the power in the hands of the People of California, not backroom politicians, to approve emergency congressional district maps in response to Trump’s election rigging scheme.
• IS FAIR AND PROPORTIONAL. Prop. 50 provides emergency maps only because Republicans moved forward with their power grab.
• IS TEMPORARY. These maps expire in 2030. Prop. 50 preserves California’s award-winning redistricting reforms and reaffirms the California Citizens Redistricting Commission’s authority to draw congressional districts after the next census. The stakes couldn’t be higher. If Republicans rig the election and steal control of Congress next year, they’ll continue to eliminate healthcare for millions of Americans, slash funding for schools, and cut essential services for veterans to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations.

PROTECT DEMOCRACY IN ALL 50 STATES

California has a duty to defend democracy. To do that, we can’t unilaterally disarm or fight with both hands tied behind our backs. When Trump tries to rig elections, we must fight back with every tool available.

Prop. 50 draws fair maps that represent California’s diverse communities and ensure our voices aren’t silenced by partisan gerrymandering in other states.

California leads the nation in protecting voting rights and fair elections. When other states try to silence our voices and rig the system, we must respond decisively.

Join President Barack Obama, Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, election experts, independent redistricting commissioners, Planned Parenthood, the NAACP, California veterans, teachers, and nurses.

Vote YES on Prop. 50 to stop Trump’s election rigging scheme.

Vote YES for checks and balances.

Vote YES to protect democracy in all 50 states.

Governor Gavin Newsom

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla

U.S. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 50

THE WRONG PATH—NO ON PROP. 50

We know American democracy is on fire, but accelerating gerrymandering only adds fuel! Politicians are seizing this crisis to justify a power grab.

PROP. 50 DOES NOT DEFEND OUR DEMOCRACY

Prop. 50 is not a magic pill to cure the nation’s ills. It claims to protect democracy, yet diminishes our communities’ voices and is ineffective against any overreach of presidential power. Vote NO.

California gerrymandering allowed the Legislature to draw partisan seats without transparency or citizen input, solely to protect incumbents. By 2001, the government was gridlocked, with legislators held hostage to the extremes of their parties. Voters rose up and handed line-drawing over to citizens, resulting in:

• Competitive Districts: Previously safe seats now must be earned.
• Better Representation: Women in the Legislature doubled, Asian representation tripled, Black representation nearly doubled, and Latino seats grew by 8%.
• Government for the People: With more moderate representatives, the Legislature passed bipartisan legislation, working for the interests of all Californians.

WE THE PEOPLE

Districts do not belong to either party; they belong to the People. But, party bosses want to call the shots—again. NO to a “pay-to-play” system.

Prop. 50 says this is “temporary,” yet the Legislature will bypass the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission again in 2028, 2030—and perhaps beyond. Don’t be fooled. Legislators drew this map behind closed doors for you to rubberstamp. It is not your choice.

Vote NO on partisan gerrymandering. Vote NO on Prop. 50.

Cynthia Dai, Rotating Chair

First Citizens Redistricting Commission

Jeanne Raya, Rotating Chair

First Citizens Redistricting Commission

Jodie Filkins Webber, Rotating Chair

First Citizens Redistricting Commission

ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 50

PROPOSITION 50: A POWER GRAB BY POLITICIANS

Prop. 50 was written by politicians, for politicians. Prop. 50 dismantles constitutional safeguards that keep election maps fair. It removes requirements to keep cities, counties, and local communities together, and eliminates voter protections that ban maps designed to favor incumbents or political parties—putting politicians back in charge of drawing their own districts, or those of their friends.

A “NO” vote protects fair elections and keeps the people of California—not politicians—in charge of redistricting.

NO ON PROP. 50: IT REPEALS LANDMARK VOTER-APPROVED ELECTION REFORMS

For decades, Sacramento politicians drew their own district boundaries behind closed doors with no public oversight—guaranteeing their reelection, denying voters a real choice, and shutting out many women and people of color from elected office.

In 2008, California voters approved historic election reform—creating the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Voters decided district lines should be drawn by a balanced panel of everyday citizens—not by politicians who stood to benefit.

Prop. 50 throws out citizen-drawn congressional maps created through a transparent public process with input from over 35,000 Californians. Instead, politicians secretly drew maps—leaving voters with NO real say.

NO ON PROP. 50: ANOTHER SCHEME TO PERMANENTLY END INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING

In 2008 and 2010, the Democratic Party and special interests spent millions of dollars to stop citizen redistricting. Later, the California Republican Party even sued to overturn citizen-drawn maps—and lost. Now, Sacramento politicians are scheming to regain control with Prop. 50.

Make no mistake: Prop. 50 is not temporary. For over half a decade, politicians get to impose their gerrymandered maps. Worse, it sets a dangerous precedent—opening the door for Sacramento to keep drawing election maps beyond 2031—giving politicians permanent power to shield themselves and their allies from accountability for California’s high cost of living, skyrocketing housing costs, and rising energy bills.

NO ON PROP. 50: DON’T BE MISLED BY POLITICAL SPIN

The same politicians who opposed independent redistricting from the start now claim Prop. 50 will “save democracy.” In truth, Prop. 50 weakens fair representation by shutting the public out and bringing gerrymandering back to California.

Prop. 50 is not democratic; it gives voters a take-it-or-leave-it decision on the most partisan maps in California’s history—a product of politicians’ secretive backroom deals with ZERO meaningful public engagement.

Prop. 50 divides communities to benefit politicians, splitting counties 114 times and cities 141 times—far more than the citizen-drawn maps.

“When politicians gerrymander, they divide our neighborhoods and weaken the voice of communities of color. Whatever happens in Texas, we cannot save democracy by destroying it in California. Vote NO on Prop. 50.”—Reverend Mac Shorty, Civil Rights Leader

NO ON PROP. 50: A MASSIVE WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY

The Legislature has called a special election just to pass this politician-protecting constitutional change—costing taxpayers $200,000,000.

With a massive budget deficit, Sacramento politicians are making painful cuts to health care, housing, education, and public safety. Instead of protecting important programs, they’re spending it on a political power grab.

Vote NO on Prop. 50.

VotersFIRSTAct.org

Roberto Moncada, Board Member

United Latinos Action

Faith Bautista Tamashiro, President

National Diversity Coalition

Taylor Shorty, Board Member

Community RePower Movement

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST
PROPOSITION 50

WARNING: NO ON 50 IS BACKED BY TRUMP EXTREMISTS

Who’s spending millions against Prop. 50?

An anti-choice mega-millionaire named Charles Munger Jr. who wants to help Donald Trump and Red State Republicans rig the 2026 elections and hand Trump unchecked power for two more years.;

Independent redistricting commissioners, election experts, and leading civil rights organizations—from the NAACP to the National Democratic Redistricting Committee—urge you to reject the lies spread by NO on 50’s phony front groups.

Lie #1: “Prop. 50 repeals landmark voter-approved election reforms.” This is plainly false. Prop. 50 calls on all states to end partisan gerrymandering and reaffirms the power of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw the lines after the next census.

Lie #2: “Prop. 50 removes requirements to keep cities, counties, and local communities together.” Prop. 50 does the opposite, keeping MORE cities and counties combined, and communities together than California’s existing maps.

Lie #3: “Prop. 50 puts politicians back in charge of drawing their own districts.” Untrue. Prop. 50 puts power to approve emergency maps in the hands of voters, not politicians.

Lie #4: “Prop. 50 permanently ends independent redistricting.” Also untrue. Prop. 50 is a temporary and proportional response to Trump’s election-rigging scheme and expires in 2030.

Californians cannot allow Donald Trump and Texas Republicans to rig the 2026 election and silence our voices.

Vote YES on Prop. 50.

Protect democracy, preserve nonpartisan redistricting and ensure a fair election in all 50 states.

Sara Sadhwani, Commissioner

2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission

Jodi Hicks, President

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California

Nikki Davis Milevsky, President

Sacramento City Teachers Association