Two weeks have passed since California’s special election on November fourth. This year, California voters had only one measure to vote on: Prop 50.Â
The University of California, Irvine offered two separate locations for students to vote on campus: the Gateway Study Center, located across from Langston Library, and a ballot drop-off box, near Lot 5. On Election Day, UCI students could be seen flooding the Gateway Study Center waiting in long lines to vote, while others opted to vote early or by mail.
Since then, it has been announced that Prop 50 has passed. Now, how will that affect Californians and potentially the nation at large? Let’s break it down.
Setting the Scene
Earlier this year, California governor Gavin Newsom ordered that a statewide special election be held on the matter of redistricting. His proposal, Prop 50, which many democrats have also referred to as the “Election Rigging Response Act” is a direct response to Texas governor Greg Abbot, who approved a redistricting measure earlier this year, in the state of Texas. Abbot’s measure could potentially increase the number of Republican seats in the House by five in the 2026 midterm elections. Leading up to Election Day, Governor Newsom attempted to rally Californian voters to support Prop 50 and counteract Abbot’s measure by stating that those on the left need to “fight fire with fire,” referring to Abbot’s measure. Â
What the Passage of Prop 50 Could Mean
The passage of Proposition 50 allows the state of California to redraw congressional district lines, and thereby adopt a new congressional district map that would begin in 2026 and last until 2030. New congressional districts are set to be redrawn in 2031. Prop 50 has the potential to “cancel out” the five seats that Texas Republicans may gain, due to their redistricting measure, come the 2026 midterms. However, due to the increasing number of red states that are currently taking measures of their own to redraw their state’s district lines, it is unclear whether Prop 50 will truly be able to diffuse the power that the Republican party currently holds in Congress.
The Aftermath
Following the democratic victory, Governor Newsom declared Prop 50 a win for the entire nation. He encouraged other Democratic leaders to follow suit and develop new congressional maps as well. On November fifth, Governor Newsom replied to a post on X from the White House account, which read, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” by responding “We just did.”
Since the measure’s approval, politicians on the right have spoken out, condemning the proposition. On November fifth, Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, called the passage of Prop 50 a “tragedy” and “a blatant example of Gavin Newsom’s immoral leadership.” On a similar note, a group of California Republicans have filed a joint federal lawsuit over the passage of Prop 50, claiming that it goes against the 14th and 15th amendments of the U.S. constitution.
Ultimately, the long-term effects that the proposition will potentially have on congressional power remains to be seen. American citizens will have to wait until the 2026 midterm elections to see whether or not California’s measure thwarts attempts to strengthen the Republican stronghold in Congress.Â