What You Need to Know About Prop 50

Feeling confused or overwhelmed by Proposition 50? You’re not alone. The League of Women Voters of Napa County (LWVNapa) is here to help make sense of it. First, a little about us and then some information we hope will clarify what Proposition 50 is and why we are asked to vote on it Nov. 4.

As a national, nonpartisan organization, our mission is to register, educate and inform our nation’s eligible voters. The League does not endorse candidates. Because Special Elections see low and underrepresented turnout, we are working to help ensure that the full diversity of California voters participate in the Nov. 4 election. This information is based on our League of Women Voters of California Education Fund’s Easy Voter Guide, which provides non-partisan and factual information to help inform all voters. The California League has not taken a stand, for or against, Proposition 50. Other groups that represent people most affected by district maps are reviewing the new maps to decide if they are fair. We defer to them to share their conclusions.

This Special Election is to decide whether to temporarily change California’s Congressional voting districts through 2030 and then give map-drawing back to the Citizens Redistricting Committee in 2031. You can find the new and old maps at bit.ly/Prop50Maps.

Why Are We Having a Special Election?

President Trump asked Texas to redraw congressional districts to help Republicans, so Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the California legislature to do the same for Democrats. In this special election, voters will decide if California can use these new maps for all congressional elections through 2030.

How You’re Represented in Congress (U.S. House of Representatives)

California has 52 members in the U.S. House of Representatives. They are each elected for a two-year term. Each member represents the people from their district in Washington D.C. They help develop the federal budget and U.S. policy priorities, and work with other U.S. representatives to make new laws.

What Are Districts?

Congressional districts are parts of a state where people vote for someone to represent them in the U.S. House of Representatives.

What is Redistricting and Gerrymandering?

Every 10 years, the census counts everyone in the U.S., and district lines are redrawn so each district has about the same number of people. This is called redistricting. It is rare to change the lines in the middle of the 10-year period and rare to ask voters to approve the lines. Political gerrymandering is when district lines are drawn in a way that favors one political party over another to give that political party a better chance of electing candidates they prefer.

People Against Prop. 50 say:

• Prop. 50 is a power grab by politicians that undoes fair election reforms and returns California to gerrymandered districts that benefit politicians over voters.

• Prop. 50 replaces an open public process with secretive political backroom deals.

What is the Fiscal Impact?

Changing the maps would cost counties up to a few million dollars to update election materials. It would cost the state about $200,000. For the state, that’s less than one-tenth of one percent of its $220 million budget.

What’s Next?

Now is the time for voters to decide. The League of Women Voters of Napa County hopes this information is helpful in making you a more informed voter on Nov. 4.

Ballots will be mailed in early October.

To register to vote, check your registration status or review your ballot, visit vote411.org.

To find our Easy Voter Guide online in Spanish or other languages, cavotes.org/easy-voter-guide.

To find information about where and when you can drop off your ballot, see napacounty.gov.

If you want to learn more about what our league does, or you wish to help or join, please visit us at lwvnapa.com.

Yolanda Schonbrun and Bernie Brooks

Co-presidents, League of Women Voters of Napa County