Prop 50, Explained — Inside California’s Redistricting Push

On this episode: CA voters will decide this fall whether to approve Proposition 50, a ballot measure that would amend the state’s constitution to temporarily suspend the state’s independent redistricting commission and replace its maps with new, partisan-drawn districts. Supporters, led by Governor Gavin Newsom and Democratic allies, argue the change is needed to counter mid-decade redistricting efforts in states like Texas and Florida. Opponents — including Republicans, good governance groups, and even former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger — say the measure undermines reforms voters approved more than a decade ago. Maya C. Miller of CalMatters joins the show to explain how Prop 50 made it onto the ballot, what the campaigns for and against are emphasizing, and what polling suggests about its chances this November.

• Learn more about Prop 50: https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_50,_Use_of_Legislative_Congressional_Redistricting_Map_Amendment_(2025) 
• Read Miller’s reporting: https://calmatters.org/author/maya-miller/#latest-stories 

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*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.