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A Model of Fairness and Transparency is Under Attack
California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission was created by voters to take the power of drawing political districts out of the hands of politicians and put it where it belongs — with the people.
In 2008, voters approved Proposition 11, the Voters First Act, establishing an independent, citizens Commission to draw fair and impartial boundaries for the State Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization. Two years later, Californians voted 61% to 39% to have the Commission also draw boundaries for the state’s congressional districts.
Made up of everyday Californians who are rigorously screened to ensure diversity, partisan balance, and freedom from conflicts, the 14‑member Commission conducts every hearing and line‑drawing session in full public view. The gold standard and a national model for citizen-led redistricting, our independent Commission ensures fair elections, better representation, and greater transparency — strengthening our democratic process.
Now, Sacramento politicians are considering a special election to abolish the Citizens Redistricting Commission’s authority over congressional districts.
A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN CALIFORNIA
The consequences of destroying California’s independent redistricting process are clear:
✘ Ends Independent Maps
Hands the power back to politicians to rig the system by drawing districts safe for their cronies and guaranteeing their reelection. That’s not democracy — that’s entrenchment.
✘ Silences Voters
Eliminates public input and transparency by taking redistricting out of the public square, where more than 35,000 Californians participated in the last redistricting cycle, and turns it over to politicians behind closed doors in the Capitol.
✘ Undermines Democracy
Opens the door to gerrymandering, which disproportionately harms communities of color, reduces competitive elections, and erodes accountability.
✘ Hurts Our Communities
Strips constitutional protections that currently ensure communities are kept whole and that maps are not drawn to favor political parties or incumbents.
✘ Sets a Dangerous Precedent
Even “temporarily” killing off a piece of democracy sets a dangerous precedent that could be used by future politicians to undermine constitutional safeguards.
✘ Costly, Wasteful and Dangerous
Requires a special election, which will cost taxpayers more than $200 million — even as California faces painful budget cuts to health care, education, housing, and other critical services.