I’m voting “yes” on California state measure 50 on Nov. 4. It is a last-gasp attempt to stop President Donald Trump’s dangerous and unconstitutional consolidation of power. We must stop this administration’s effort to choke out American democracy and drag it down a dark alley into authoritarian rule.
In September, California entered the nationwide redistricting battle to control the U.S. Congress. Measure 50 is titled the “Election Rigging Response Act.” The Golden State’s legislature voted to redraw emergency congressional district boundaries and seek voter approval in a statewide special election.
New maps
According to the Los Angeles County official sample ballot, the measure “authorizes temporary changes to congressional district maps in response to Texas’ partisan redistricting.” If passed, Measure 50 will require the temporary use of new Congressional district maps in California through 2030. Critics of the measure express opposition to the one-time cost to counties of several million dollars statewide, as election materials will need to be updated.
Other opponents include supporters of Trump’s radical vision for restructuring the federal government in line with the goals outlined in The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. In its document, Project 2025 Explained, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) describes The Heritage Foundation as a conservative think tank with a history of opposing abortion and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, and racial equity. The project serves as a blueprint to replace the rule of law with right-wing ideals. Its extreme policy recommendations touch on almost every aspect of American life, from immigration and abortion rights to free speech and racial justice.
Gerrymandering
Why is Measure 50 necessary? Two words: Republican Gerrymandering.
It all comes down to the concept we learned in 12th-grade government class. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, gerrymandering is when those in control of the redistricting process rig the voting maps to favor particular candidates or political parties.
Redistricting is a regular occurrence that happens every decade, following the U.S. census. The redistricting reflects population changes and ensures fair representation of communities.
However, under Trump and the White House’s urging, Texas redrew its maps mid-decade to create Republican-heavy districts. Reconstituting these districts is expected to create at least five new Republican seats in the 2026 midterms. A Texas Tribune article published August 1, 2025, reported Democratic legislators’ concerns that redrawn districts in the Austin, Dallas, and Houston areas will suppress the votes of people of color and “pack” Democratic voters into districts that were already controlled by the minority party. This will result in fewer Democratic voters and more Republican voters in neighboring districts. Other states considering redistricting mid-decade include Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Utah.
California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, has sold Measure 50 as a way to neutralize Republican gains from other states’ altered maps. The website stopelectionrigging.com (paid for by Yes on 50, The Election Rigging Response Act, Governor Newsom’s Ballot Measure Committee) suggests that “Donald Trump and Texas Republicans are making an unprecedented power grab to steal congressional seats and rig the 2026 election before voting even begins.”
That’s cheating, you say? Add it to the long list of illegal, unconstitutional, and unscrupulous acts and abuses of power perpetrated by the Trump regime since January ‘25.
Abuses of power
In an opinion piece in the Oct. 17, 2025, issue of the centrist publication The Hill, “No Kings indeed: A partial list of Trump’s shameless power grabs,” Donna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee, suggested that Trump had waged attacks on America’s Constitution, democracy, and rule of law. In her opinion, Trump believes that Article II of the Constitution, which outlines the president’s responsibilities, gives him carte blanche to do whatever he wants.
Brazile suggested that before Trump’s presidency, most members of Congress fiercely defended their powers and responsibilities to act as a coequal branch of government, including opposing presidents of their own party, when necessary.
“In Trump’s second term, even more than in his first, the Republican majorities in both chambers are terrified he will endorse their primary election opponents and cost them their jobs, so they give him a blank check to do almost anything he wants,” said Brazile. “This poses a profound threat to our freedoms.”
What you can do
What is the remedy when legislators are more concerned with appeasing a would-be dictator than they are with representing the needs of the people they serve? Vote them out, of course. But, in the meantime, register to vote and support proposals such as Measure 50 that limit the damage that can be done by an unmoored legislative body.California is the fifth-largest economy in the world. With an estimated 39.4 million people, we are also the most populous state in the U.S. In light of the Trump administration’s lawlessness and unprecedented attempts to erode our civil rights and civil liberties, it’s time to start throwing our weight around.
Vote! To register, update your registration, or verify your status, visit: registertovote.ca.gov
