Long Beach voters will join the rest of the state Tuesday in deciding whether to approve new congressional districts designed to favor Democrats in the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections.
Known as Proposition 50 — fully titled the Election Rigging Response Act — the measure is meant to cut Republican representation in California by half, giving congressional Democrats in the state more swing seats as it looks to reclaim control of the U.S. House of Representatives halfway through President Donald Trump’s second term.
The California Republicans targeted by the redistricting plan include the following representatives:
- Doug LaMalfa in District 1
- Kevin Kiley in District 3
- David Valadao in District 22
- Ken Calvert in District 41
- Darrell Issa in District 48
Democrats currently control 43 of California’s 53 seats, while Republicans hold a slim majority in the House.
It was proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and pushed by state Democrats onto the Nov. 4 ballot after a similar gerrymandering effort was unveiled in Texas.
But how does it affect Long Beach?
The new maps would dramatically change Long Beach’s federal representation.
Rep. Robert Garcia, who represents a majority of the city, would also come to represent Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa and parts of Newport Beach.
In terms of voter registration, the change would lower the 42nd District’s registered Democrats from 53% to 40%. Republicans would jump from 18% to 30%, and there would be 5% more without a party preference. Overall, the Democratic advantage would drop by 19.5 percentage points.
There were more than 269,000 registered voters in Long Beach as of 2024. More than half of them were Democrats (143,000), while another 46,000 are Republicans. Many more are undecided.
Who all supports it and who all opposes it?
Garcia, along with the Long Beach City Council and leaders across Los Angeles County, have thrown their support behind the measure, confident in the congressman’s reputation and popularity to maintain control of the district.
The California Democratic Party and the state labor federation, as well as the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palo Alto and West Hollywood, have also made similar endorsements.
Proponents of the measure see it as a necessary change to the democratic process in order to have a fighting chance at grounding much of Trump’s agenda, just as they were able to do during his first term following the 2018 midterms. Newsom has positioned it as a direct response to new congressional maps in Texas meant to bolster Republicans’ chances in the midterms, which now face multiple court challenges.
Opponents include the California Republican Party, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and members of the California Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission, including Chairman Neal Fornaciari.
Opposition, meanwhile, has come from neighboring cities, including the city councils of Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach.
What do the polls say?
A survey by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies found that six in 10 likely voters supported Prop. 50, against a 38% opposition, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The poll, also reported by the Times, found nearly all respondents plan to vote along party lines, while nearly two-thirds of those without party preference supported it.
Voters in Orange County, as well as the Inland Empire and the Central Valley, were found to be divided on the measure.
Supporters have also fundraised far more than opponents to the measure.
Another survey from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report in early October found more uncertainty among registered voters, with nearly half of the 918 respondents saying they could not decide or didn’t feel too strongly in their support of the vote.
Some other facts to consider
The ballot measure would restore California’s independent redistricting process in 2031, with boundaries drawn based on the 2030 census.
California lawmakers cannot redistrict on their own. Voters took that power away in 2008 and 2010 through a series of measures to establish a non-partisan independent commission that sets the boundaries after each census. Any changes to that power, even if temporary, must be decided by the voters.
The special election itself is expected to cost state taxpayers about $282.6 million, not including the added cost of reprinting some incorrect ballots that were sent out last month.
How to vote
As of Saturday, more than 6.4 million vote-by-mail ballots have been sent to California’s 23 million registered voters, according to the Secretary of State. In Los Angeles County, 1.2 million of the more than 5 million vote-by-mail ballots issued had already been returned.
Voters can mail in their ballots at any time — as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. They can also turn them in at drop boxes or vote centers through Nov. 4. Polls will be open that day between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. local time.
To find same-day voter registration locations in your county, early voting locations, or ballot drop-off locations, please visit here.
Voters can track where their ballots are in the counting process by signing up here. You’ll receive alerts about your ballot’s location.