It’s a state ballot measure about redistricting, but Proposition 50 has many California voters thinking nationally — and a lot about President Trump.
Those voting for it overwhelmingly say one reason is for them to oppose the Trump administration — which they also feel generally treats California worse than other states — and oppose national Republicans.
Overall, those who see their Prop 50 vote as a national issue are backing it, and that rationale is in turn helping push the “yes” side of the measure into the lead.
By contrast, those who see it more as a state issue are opposed: Those voting “no” are driven by a concern that redistricting would shift power away from the state’s rural areas and toward the cities and cost the state money. But their views are outnumbered at the moment.
Some of Californians’ views on President Trump are in turn driven by their widespread feeling that the administration treats California worse than other states. Only about a third say they’re generally treated the same. (Even a quarter of Republicans, who overwhelmingly backed Trump in 2024, feel he treats the state worse than others.)
In all, and given those national dynamics voters express, it may be little surprise the measure has majority backing overall for the moment in the heavily-Democratic state.
California’s statewide debate on redistricting provides a unique look at a public perspective on the matter, while in many other states where it is being implemented or discussed, it is in the hands of legislatures and governors.
In sum, those who see it as a national issue are overwhelmingly backing it. Those seeing it more in state terms tend to be opposed.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has a positive overall job approval from California voters, and is a net-positive for those who consider him a factor and are voting “yes” on Prop 50.
However, he’s even more of a motivating force for the “no” side, many of whom are Republicans, and half of whom say he’s a reason for them to oppose it.
The potential dynamics of the proposed redistricting are seen to favor cities over both suburbs and rural areas — perhaps a function of voters’ views on proposed maps, or simply that more of California’s Democrats live in and around its cities.
The argument made by opponents that it would cost the state money has gained some traction in the sense that four in 10 think it will, and it’s a prevailing view on the “no” side. But that’s not enough to sway the overall vote right now. A sizable number of those who think it’ll cost money are still voting “yes” nonetheless.
Finances, the deportation program, and President Trump
One reason Donald Trump may be drawing opposition — besides a low statewide approval rating — is that California’s voters tend to feel his policies are making them financially worse off.
And there is majority opposition to his deportation program, even more so than has been the case of late in the nation at large.
That said, Californians do see the administration’s policies reducing the number of border crossings, specifically at California’s section of the U.S.-Mexico border.
On the deportation program, there are at least two reasons behind the sentiment: one, most California voters — and especially those who disapprove of the program — feel the administration is trying to deport more people than they’d expected.
The Californians who feel this way overwhelmingly voice opposition to the program. This connection has also been the case in recent months nationally. Hispanic voters, in particular, think the administration is deporting more than they’d expected and are slightly more disapproving of the program than White voters.
There is also opposition to the administration sending the National Guard to L.A.
The other factor is the prevailing view that the deportation program is making their local economies weaker. These views are often shaped by partisanship, but they also span areas from people living in both cities and smaller towns.
This is strongly connected to views of the program overall: those who see it weakening the local economy almost universally disapprove.
Most of California’s voters don’t think the program is making their own communities safer. It’s often a matter of partisanship behind that perception. Republicans say it is making their communities safer, but independents and Democrats do not.
This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a representative sample of 1,504 registered voters in California interviewed between October 16-21, 2025. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, and geographic region based on the voter file and U.S. Census data, as well as to 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ± 3.8 points for registered voters and ± 3.6 points for likely voters.
First Appeared on
Source link
