My name is Gloria Cruz Cardenas (she/they), Chief Impact Officer at The Center*, and I’m urging our community to take bold action to protect our democracy’s future by voting YES on Prop 50 in the special election on November 4.

Proposition 50, also called the Election Rigging Response Act, changes how California’s congressional district maps are drawn. Voting YES allows our state to adopt temporary congressional district maps from 2026–2030 in response to redistricting in other states. In 2031, the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will resume enacting congressional district maps.

Prop 50’s redistricting plan would rebalance power in several districts statewide, including five key districts that would offer more diverse representation and empower state representatives in those areas to combat attacks against our communities. One of these key districts is District 48, encompassing parts of Eastern San Diego, where many LGBTQ+ community members currently live with little support from elected leaders. If approved, Prop 50 could provide District 48 with the opportunity to be represented by more LGBTQ-affirming leadership in the House of Representatives, elevating the LGBTQ+ community’s needs in the halls of power.

While this proposition does not follow the customary redistricting process through our independent commission, this is a necessary step to protect democracy, counter destructive narratives dominating our political landscape, and address imbalances of power that harm vulnerable communities—including our transgender, nonbinary, and immigrant communities that are under attack.

We are living through a historical moment of instability in all three branches of government, where the checks and balances that should protect our democracy are under threat. The result is an unprecedented overreach of power in the executive branch, discriminatory legislation in the legislative branch, and devastating court rulings in the judicial branch, including U.S. vs. Skrmetti that upheld a ban on access to healthcare for transgender and nonbinary youth, as well as overturning Roe v. Wade that has protected abortion access for decades.

Such a moment of crisis requires bold action. Prop 50 is a practical but powerful response that strengthens the role of Congress to safeguard our legislative defenses and help restore balance to a system in jeopardy. It will ensure that Californians, especially underrepresented communities, continue to have a strong voice in our nation’s democracy.

These protections matter everywhere, but especially here in San Diego. As a border region home to working-class families, a large LGBTQ+ community, military service members and veterans, and immigrants and their families, we are uniquely vulnerable to the consequences of national instability and political attacks on our rights. Fair representation in Congress means protection, visibility, and opportunity for our diverse communities. Without this, we will continue to see harmful effects in health care, housing, education, anti-discrimination laws, and employment.

Prop 50 is California’s way of preventing these consequences, including fighting back against the growing wave of anti-LGBTQ and anti-trans rhetoric dominating the national stage. It ensures that our communities are not silenced and have a fighting chance to be heard. This measure is not about partisan politics; it’s about defending the integrity of our democracy and safeguarding the voices that make our country stronger.

You can be part of this fight too by voting in the election on November 4.

While Prop 50 is a temporary measure, it is also a bold and necessary response to an unprecedented moment. Voting YES on Prop 50 is how we make sure every voice counts so that our future remains inclusive, fair, and representative for all.

Please make your voice heard and vote in the election on November 4!

In community,

Gloria Cruz Cardenas (she/they)
Chief Impact Officer

*As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Center is able to take positions on ballot measures and is subject to normal limits on lobbying. Ballot measure advocacy is a first amendment right, not a matter of tax law. While we cannot make partisan statements, influence elections in a partisan way, etc., we can express our opinion for or against a proposed law or constitutional amendment.