For decades, California’s congressional and legislative district boundaries were drawn by the state legislature. This often resulted in gerrymandering—districts designed to protect incumbents and favor one political party. By the early 2000s, public frustration had grown because elections in California had become increasingly uncompetitive, with few incumbents losing reelection.
Proposition 11 (2008) – The Citizens Redistricting Initiative
In 2008, California voters approved Proposition 11, the Voters FIRST Act.
This measure took the power to draw State Assembly and State Senate districts away from the Legislature and gave it to a new independent body: the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC).
The Commission was designed to be independent, balanced, and transparent. It consisted of 14 members: (5) Republicans, (5) Democrats & (4) not affiliated with either major party.
Commissioners are chosen through a screening and lottery process overseen by the State Auditor, to limit partisan influence.
The rules required broad public input, open hearings, and strict criteria—such as compliance with the Voting Rights Act, respect for city/county boundaries, and keeping “communities of interest” together.
Proposition 20 (2010) – Expanding the Commission’s Role
Two years later, voters approved Proposition 20, which expanded the Commission’s authority to include U.S. congressional districts.
First Use: 2011 Redistricting
First Use: 2011 Redistricting
The process involved dozens of public hearings across the state, along with thousands of citizen-submitted maps and comments.
The final maps were generally praised for being more compact, competitive, and representative of California’s diversity compared to previous gerrymandered maps.
Some incumbents lost “safe” seats, leading to more competitive elections.
Key Principles of the Commission
By law, the Commission must follow this priority order when drawing districts:
Equal population (one person, one vote).
Compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act.
Contiguity of districts.
Respect for city/county lines and communities of interest.
Nesting (Assembly districts nested within Senate districts when possible).
Compactness.
Political considerations—such as protecting incumbents or parties—are explicitly prohibited.
What does 50 do?
If Prop 50 passes, it will replace the citizens’ drawn maps with politically driven maps. It does exactly the opposite of what it claims; it actually takes the power away from the citizenry and returns it to politicians, and even though it claims it’s temporary, ask yourself when was the last time a tax was temporary.
