Fail: 3,729,612 / 40.6% Yes votes ...... 5,457,940 / 59.4% No votes

See Also: Index of all Propositions

Summary Prepared by the State Attorney General:

• Eliminates 14-member redistricting commission selected from applicant pool picked by government auditors.
• Consolidates authority for establishing state Assembly, Senate, and Board of Equalization district boundaries with elected state representatives responsible for drawing congressional districts.
• Reduces budget, and imposes limit on amount Legislature may spend, for redistricting.
• Provides that voters will have the authority to reject district boundary maps approved by the Legislature.
• Requires populations of all districts for the same office to be exactly the same.

Fiscal Impact from the Legislative Analyst:

Possible reduction of state redistricting costs of around $1 million over the next year. Likely reduction of these costs of a few million dollars once every ten years beginning in 2020.

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote on this measure means:

The responsibility to determine the boundaries of State Legislature and Board of Equalization districts would be returned to the Legislature. The Citizens Redistricting Commission, established by Proposition 11 in 2008 to perform this function, would be eliminated. (Proposition 20 on this ballot also concerns redistricting issues. If both Proposition 27 and Proposition 20 are approved by voters, the proposition receiving the greater number of "yes" votes would be the only one to go into effect.)

A NO vote on this measure means:

The responsibility to determine the boundaries of Legislature and Board of Equalization districts would remain with the Citizens Redistricting Commission.

This measure returns the responsibility to determine district boundaries of state offices back to the Legislature. Under this measure, the commission recently established by voters to determine these district boundaries would be eliminated.

BACKGROUND

In a process known as "redistricting," the State Constitution requires that the state adjust the boundary lines of districts once every ten years following the federal census for the State Assembly, State Senate, State Board of Equalization (BOE), and California's congressional districts for the U.S. House of Representatives. To comply with federal law, redistricting must establish districts which are roughly equal in population.

Recent Changes to State Legislature and BOE Redistricting. In the past, district boundaries for all of the offices listed above were determined in bills that became law after they were approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor. On some occasions, when the Legislature and the Governor were unable to agree on redistricting plans, the California Supreme Court performed the redistricting.

In November 2008, voters passed Proposition 11, which created the Citizens Redistricting Commission to establish new district boundaries for the State Assembly, State Senate, and BOE beginning after the 2010 census. To be established once every ten years, the commission will consist of 14 registered voters--5 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and 4 others--who apply for the position and are chosen according to specified rules.

When the commission sets district boundaries, it must meet the requirements of federal law and other requirements, such as not favoring or discriminating against political parties, incumbents, or political candidates. In addition, the commission is required, to the extent possible, to adopt district boundaries that:

• Maintain the geographic integrity of any city, county, neighborhood, and "community of interest" in a single district. (The commission is responsible for defining "communities of interest" for its redistricting activities.)
• Develop geographically compact districts.
• Place two Assembly districts together within one Senate district and place ten Senate districts together within one BOE district.

Proposition 11, however, did make some changes to the requirements that the Legislature must meet in drawing congressional districts. The Legislature--like the commission--now must attempt to draw geographically compact districts and maintain geographic integrity of localities, neighborhoods, and communities of interest, as defined by the Legislature. Proposition 11, however, does not prohibit the Legislature from favoring or discriminating against political parties, incumbents, or political candidates when drawing congressional districts.

PROPOSAL

This measure amends the Constitution and other state laws to change the way that district boundaries are determined for the State Assembly, State Senate, BOE, and California's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Legislative and BOE Redistricting Returns to Legislature. This measure returns authority to draw district boundaries for the State Assembly, State Senate, and BOE to the Legislature. The responsibility to determine congressional districts would remain with the Legislature. Under this measure, therefore, district boundaries for all of these congressional and state offices would be determined in bills passed by the Legislature. The Citizens Redistricting Commission that was created by Proposition 11 would be eliminated. As a result, the process currently underway for appointing members of that commission would end, and the Legislature would undertake the redistricting resulting from the 2010 and future censuses.

New Requirements for Redistricting Boundaries and Process. Proposition 27 creates certain requirements for district boundaries. Under this measure, the population of each district would be almost equal with other districts for the same office (with a difference in population of no greater than one person). This measure further requires the Legislature to hold hearings before and after district boundary maps are created, as well as provide the public access to certain redistricting data.

Deletes Some Existing Requirements. This measure also deletes some existing rules on what must be considered during the redistricting process, such as requirements related to:

• Not favoring or discriminating against political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.
• Developing geographically compact districts.
• Placing two Assembly districts together within one Senate district and placing ten Senate districts together within one BOE district.

See Figure 1 (click here and scroll down to view) Comparing Key Provisions of Current Law and November 2010 Propositions on the Drawing of Political Districts

Arguments Submitted to the Secretary of State

Summary of Arguments FOR Proposition 27:

VOTE YES ON 27 TO SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND END NONSENSE REAPPORTIONMENT GAMES. California is in crisis. We are broke, deeply in debt, unemployment is far too high. Proposition 27 is the only chance for voters to say "Enough is enough! Stop wasting taxpayer dollars on nonsense." Yes on 27.

Summary of Arguments AGAINST Proposition 27:

Politicians behind 27 want to repeal the voter-approved Citizens Redistricting Commission. They want the power to draw safe districts for themselves and will spend or say anything to get it back. Don't buy it. TAXPAYER GROUPS, GOOD GOVERNMENT GROUPS, SENIORS SAY STOP THE POWER GRAB: NO on 27.

Contact FOR Proposition 27:

Yes on 27
10940 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2000
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 576-1233
http://www.yesprop27.org

Contact AGAINST Proposition 27:

Yes on 20, No on 27--Hold Politicians Accountable, a coalition of taxpayers, seniors, good government groups, small business and community organizations
925 University Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95825
(866) 395-6121
email@yes20no27.org
http://www.noprop27.org

Video Overview

• Analysis of the Ballot Measure - produced by LWV Cupertino-Sunnyvale (4 min video)

Secretary of State

• Full Arguments and Rebuttals
• Full Text of Proposed Law [PDF]

• Full Impartial Analysis of this Measure

League of Women Voters of California Education Fund

• Pros and Cons - A nonpartisan explanation of this state proposition, with supporting and opposing arguments
• Easy Voter Guide - A brief summary of this state proposition

• Forum - KQED San Francisco - A debate on the proposition hosted by Dave Iverson with John Myers (9/17/10, 52 min)
• KQED State Proposition Guide - A succinct summary of the proposal, background and arguments for and against

• In-Depth Analysis of this Proposition - Prepared by Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley
• Table of Endorsements For or Against this Proposition - Convenient display of nonprofit organizations, unions, newspapers, political parties and gubernatorial candidates

Secretary of State

• Cal-Access Database - Who contributes money and how is it spent

• Follow the Money - Top 5 Donors - Convenient summary of largest donors in support and opposition