Live results: 2025 California elections on Proposition 50

WASHINGTON (AP) — California Democrats led by Gov. Gavin Newsom are moving toward a new congressional map that could flip up to five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives from Republican to Democratic control. But first, they need voters’ signatures.

California voters head to the polls Tuesday with only one yes or no question on the ballot. Passage of Proposition 50 would implement a new congressional map, which the state Legislature passed in August, for the next three election cycles. After the 2030 U.S. Census, the state’s independent redistricting commission will resume drawing maps.

Read more: Why is the Trump administration sending election observers to California and New Jersey?

Politicians across the country are working to reconfigure congressional voting districts — a task typically done only once a decade, after each census — in an attempt to give their parties’ candidates an advantage in next year’s elections. The national fight over partisan gerrymandering began in Texas, following a campaign by President Donald Trump. The Republican-controlled state adopted a new map in August that could flip five Democratic-leaning US House seats. California was the second state to take steps. Between the California legislature’s passage of the map and this election, both Missouri and North Carolina adopted new maps. Other countries may follow suit soon.

The outcome of this ballot measure could help determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm elections, which will see Republicans attempt to overcome the historical pattern of the president’s party losing seats in midterm elections. The GOP margin is slim: Heading into Tuesday’s election, Republicans control 219 seats to Democrats’ 213, with three vacancies.

If Proposition 50 is approved, Democrats could potentially control as many as 48 of California’s 52 congressional seats, up from the 43 the party now holds. In some cases, the reconstituted districts will split across California, with one conservative-leaning rural district uniting northern California with Marin County, a liberal coastal stronghold north of San Francisco. In other cases, area lines are left unchanged or only minor modifications are made.

Supporters lined up on both sides of the measure, which saw more than $200 million in contributions.

Read more: California Republicans are preparing to shrink representation under Newsom’s redistricting plan

If support for the ballot measure splits along party lines — which is no guarantee — the side supported by Democrats will be best positioned to pass it. The Democratic Party has a statewide voter registration advantage of more than 4.5 million voters, and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris won California by about 20 percentage points last fall.

Opponents of the measure, who include prominent Republican figures from the state ranging from former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to potential affected representatives, reported raising more than $80 million. National Republicans Step In: The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC dedicated to electing Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives, donated $5 million.

The ‘No’ campaign in 50 also benefited from the high-profile participation of former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the last Republicans to win statewide office and a longtime opponent of gerrymandering. They portray the initiative as a scheme by Democrats to consolidate their influence and circumvent the independent, voter-approved redistricting commission.

But the No campaign is less well-funded than its rivals. The “Yes” side has raised about $138 million, according to data from the California Secretary of State’s Office. Data from AdImpact, a nonpartisan ad tracking firm, suggests that ad spending on the opposing side has slowed considerably in the run-up to the election.

Newsom and Democrats at the national and state levels have been heavily involved in advocating for the measure. Newsom contributed $2.6 million of his own campaign funds, while the House Majority Political Action Committee, an independent spending group that supports Democratic House candidates, allocated nearly $15 million.

The Associated Press does not provide projections, and will declare a winner only when it is determined that no scenario exists that would allow the late nominees to close the gap. If the race is not called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or announcements of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet announced a winner and explain why.

There are no automatic recounts in California. Any registered voter in California may request a recount, but the voter or campaign committee represented by the voter requesting a recount must pay for it. The AP may declare a winner in a race eligible for a recount if it determines that the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Here’s a look at what to expect:

Election day

California’s special election will be held on Tuesday, although mail-in voting has been available for weeks. Polls close at 8pm Pacific Time, or 11pm Eastern Time.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will present the voting results and declare the winner of the redistricting ballot measure.

Who is entitled to vote?

Any registered voter in California may participate in the special election.

What does turnout and advance voting look like?

As of September 5, there were about 23.1 million registered voters in California. Of these, 45% were Democrats and 25% were Republicans. About 5.2 million voters were not registered with any party.

Turnout in the 2021 gubernatorial election, an off-year election in which statewide voting was the only contest on the ballot, was about 58%.

As of October 28, a total of 4.74 million votes had been cast before Election Day. Check AP’s early voting tracker for the latest update.

How long does it usually take to count votes?

In the 2024 presidential election, the AP first announced results in California at 11:12 p.m. ET, or 12 minutes after polls closed. The tabulation of votes ended overnight at 7:00 a.m. ET with approximately 54% of the total votes counted.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 364 days until the 2026 midterm elections and 1,099 days until the 2028 general election.

– Maya Swidler, The Associated Press

Find out more 2025 voting coverage