WASHINGTON (AP) — A significant number of California voters weren’t thrilled with the idea of redrawing congressional districts to benefit Democrats. However, they might have felt cornered into this decision by the actions of Republicans.

The AP Voter Poll, a comprehensive survey involving over 4,000 California voters, revealed a complex mix of emotions. Voters opted to embrace President Donald Trump’s strategy of altering district lines outside of Census years. Many supported the proposition as a countermeasure against his efforts to maintain Republican dominance in the House in the upcoming midterm elections, despite a preference for redistricting through different means.

The approval of the ballot measure, alongside voters’ apparent reluctance, underscores the perception that the current redistricting battle is a necessary political maneuver, even if it conflicts with their principles. The data indicates that voters view this period as a critical and intense juncture for the nation, where some level of compromise might be essential.

California voters said party control of Congress was highly important

Approximately 90% of California voters agreed that congressional district lines should typically be drawn by a non-partisan commission. Despite this, a majority supported Proposition 50, which aimed to replace existing districts with maps designed to increase Democratic representation in the House of Representatives.

Nearly 70% of California voters considered party control of Congress to be “very important,” and those voters largely endorsed the constitutional amendment championed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Newsom, a Democrat, has positioned himself as a prominent opponent of Trump.

Newsom said ahead of the vote that democracy itself was at risk.

“Prop 50 is not about drawing lines on a map,” Newsom told a crowd. “It is about holding the line to what makes us who we are.”

The ballot measure was a response to Trump’s efforts earlier this year to tilt more congressional districts toward the GOP. Voter discontent with the status quo was apparent. About half of California voters said they are angry about the country’s direction, and a similar share pointed to the economy as the most important issue facing the state. Many voters have been left frustrated as Trump’s pledge to vanquish inflation has gone unfulfilled, while his import taxes have created a sense of confusion and chaos among businesses and the public.

The president has successfully pushed Texas, North Carolina, Ohio and Missouri to craft new congressional districts, with Trump placing pressure on additional states in an attempt to swing midterm races that have traditionally favored the party out of the White House.

“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED,” Trump wrote.

Proposition 50’s “Yes” voters hoped to counter Republicans in other states

Two-thirds of California voters said they were opposed to states redrawing their congressional district lines in response to how other states have drawn their lines. But the vast majority of the voters who supported the ballot measure said it was necessary to counter the changes made by Republicans in other states.

California now has the chance to do that by recrafting its 52 House seats in ways that could add five Democrats to Congress in next year’s elections. Democrats and voters who lean toward the Democrats — who make up a majority of voters in the state — overwhelmingly voted in support of the ballot measure.

Many acknowledged the process so far has been unjust. About half of California voters said neither the Republicans nor the Democrats are handling the redrawing of congressional district lines fairly.

But knowing the choices made by other state legislatures, enough California voters decided they had the right reason – even if it felt like the wrong thing.

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The 2025 AP Voter Poll, conducted by SSRS from Oct. 22 – Nov. 4, includes representative samples of registered voters in California (4,490), New Jersey (4,244), New York City (4,304) and Virginia (4,215). The AP Voter Poll combines data collected from validated registered voters online and by telephone, with data collected in-person from election day voters at approximately 30 precincts per state or city, excluding California. Respondents can complete the poll in English or Spanish. The overall margin of sampling error for voters, accounting for design effect, is plus or minus 2.0 percentage points in California, 2.1 percentage points in New Jersey, 2.2 percentage points in New York City, and 2.1 percentage points in Virginia.