Proposition 50 will appear on Californians’ ballots on Nov. 4, deciding whether or not the state will draw new, temporary congressional district maps starting in 2026. Among 5C community members, this measure has underscored the importance of student participation in state and national politics.
Ken Miller, a government professor and director of the Rose Institute for State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College, has focused on nonpartisan public education with students to help them make informed voting choices.
“The terms of the debate are whether California should just stand up to Trump by whatever means necessary, or whether they should hesitate and try to preserve the independent redistricting system that we have in place,” Miller said.
In August, President Trump successfully urged Texas lawmakers to redraw district lines that are expected to increase the number of Republican House seats in the 2026 midterm elections. In response, Governor Gavin Newsom and other Democratic leaders advocated for a redrawing of California’s congressional lines to increase the number of Democratic House seats, counteracting Texas. But because of California’s independent redistricting system, this measure must be brought to the ballot.
Powell Mathewson PZ ’25, the president of the 5C Democrats and a California voter, said he’ll be voting “yes” on Proposition 50, despite being a fan of California’s redistricting model.
“If Prop. 50 didn’t exist in the context of the Texas, Ohio and Missouri GOP redrawing their maps to try to swing more republican votes for 2026, then I would never support anything like this,” he said.
California’s constitution states that every ten years, after new census information is published, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission meets to redraw district maps to accurately reflect the state’s population. Proposition 50 would stray from this standard, but some see it as necessary to hold Trump accountable.
Miller referred to Proposition 50 as a way that Democrats could put a “check on Trump.”
Mathewson said he finds the way the modern Republican party has refuted democratically established norms and institutions “disconcerting,” and sees Proposition 50 as a possible way to mitigate this.
“What do you get by trying to play fair against the team that is trying to eradicate your influence?” Mathewson said.
“What do you get by trying to play fair against the team that is trying to eradicate your influence?”
Miller pointed out that those voting “no” on Proposition 50 are likely concerned that breaking the state’s norm of drawing district lines with a non-partisan, independent redistricting commission could lead to future gerrymandering in California and other states, resulting in a misrepresentation of voters across the country.
“There’s sort of a downward spiral we might enter into,” he said.
California’s League of Women Voters (LWV) originally opposed mid-cycle redistricting but has since taken a neutral stance on Proposition 50; the Claremont College’s LWV chapter has followed suit. Leading up to this election, the group has hosted and participated in multiple events to better inform both California voters on the ballot measure and out-of-state students who are interested in the issue.
Alex Benach PO ’28, along with other members of 5C LWV, held an event with Miller and Pomona College politics professor Sarah Sadhwani earlier this month to answer questions about the topic. Rather than advocating directly for or against Proposition 50, the event at large focused on education.
“I view [the event] as being a broader effort to put people on the same playing field,” Benach said. “Working through the issues can be very helpful even if [we’re] not saying that you should vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’.”
Mathewson sees a significant lack of political participation among 5C students, which he described as “apathy,” although he’s found the majority of those who are voting to have positive attitudes towards the measure.
“I think if you were to poll a bunch of people at the 5Cs and force them to make a choice between ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on Prop. 50, I think ‘yes’ wins,” he said. “But if you give them the option of not doing it at all, I think that’s going to be the biggest demographic.”
Benach emphasized the importance of voting, especially because it’s typically very easy to do so in California.
“I believe very much in the sentiment that if voting didn’t matter, they wouldn’t try so hard to stop us from doing it,” he said.
As to whether or not Proposition 50 will pass, Miller feels positive, citing recent polling and the fact that it’s an “anti-Trump measure” in an “anti-Trump state.”
While the voter registration deadline was on Oct. 20, eligible voters can still complete same-day registration in person on Election Day, Nov. 4. Voting will officially close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
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