Redistricting's Future

Prop 11 Backers Target Congress

Due to the threatened funding of an opposition campaign by Congressional leaders, Prop 11 backers did not include Congressional district lines in their initiative, and as a result, the Legislature currently retains its authority to draw Congressional districts.

This may be short lived however, as Prop 11’s success has led proponents to launch a follow-up initiative campaign with the goal of moving Congressional districts under the purview or the citizen’s redistricting commission.

The "Voters First Act for Congress" has been submitted to the California Secretary of State and is aimed for the November 2010 ballot. It will need about 694,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot.

An additional concern, as it relates to Congress, is the potential for California to lose a congressional seat if significant effort is not made towards an accurate 2010 Census count. According to Election Data Services, California may lose congressional representation for the first time in its history if there is an undercount.