ICAN Statement Opposing California Proposition 50

The Israeli-American Civic Action Network (ICAN) opposes California Proposition 50, the November 2025 ballot measure that would authorize the Legislature to redraw congressional districts for the 2026 election.

While Proposition 50 is presented as a response to gerrymandering in other states, it would suspend California’s independent, voter-approved redistricting system and allow partisan actors to control the process. This would dismantle one of California’s most important democratic safeguards and set a precedent for political manipulation that undermines transparency and public trust.

ICAN opposes this measure because it would fundamentally alter the structure of representation in California and Congress in ways that empower extremist political movements hostile to Israel and to the civic pluralism that sustains our democracy. Analysts expect the measure to shift four to five congressional districts toward ideological blocs that support eliminating the U.S.–Israel alliance and strengthening discriminatory movements to boycott Israel (BDS), among other extreme positions. These outcomes would weaken important progress on foreign policy, national security, and education initiatives central to ICAN’s mission.

Proposition 50 does not defend democracy; it destabilizes it. California’s independent redistricting model was designed to prevent politicians from choosing their voters. Replacing it would reverse more than a decade of progress and reward political extremism. The measure’s short-term partisan benefits are outweighed by its long-term damage to institutional integrity, civic trust, and the fairness of California’s elections.

ICAN supports citizen-led, transparent governance and believes that fair redistricting protects every community, including Israeli-Americans, Jewish Americans, and other minorities who depend on balanced representation.

The measure will appear on California’s statewide special election ballot on November 4, 2025. Ballots begin mailing to all registered voters around October 6, and in-person voting opens in most counties on October 25. Voters must register or update registration by October 20, and vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by November 12. Proposition 50 is the only statewide measure on the ballot.

ICAN urges our communities to vote NO on Proposition 50.