California gears up for Proposition 50 special election. Here's when ballots mail out.
Ballots for California's special election on Proposition 50 will be mailed out to voters beginning next Monday.
With millions of dollars in TV advertising, California's congressional redistricting battle has become an expensive debate, but will it translate into voter turnout?
If it passes, Proposition 50 would shift five of California's U.S. House seats to be more favorable to Democrats in next year's midterm elections. The plan was created to counter Texas' newly redrawn congressional districts that favor Republicans.
The ads are seemingly everywhere. The Proposition 50 political fight has now led to more than $50 million spent on TV ads, according to AdImpact. That figure is approaching the levels seen in Proposition 22's campaign in 2020, which allows app-based companies like Uber and Lyft to classify drivers as independent contractors. Proposition 22 TV ad spending alone topped $66 million, according to AdAge.
Assad Omari is a newly registered Sacramento County Democrat, still learning about the special election.
"I don't know about that yet, but I see on the TV," Omari said.
New voter registration numbers released by the California Secretary of State show that between February and September, voters registered with no party preference increased by 82,000. Registered Republican Party voters increased by 48,000, and registered Democratic Party voters increased by only 190.
Overall, the number of registered Democrats statewide is still nearly double that of registered Republicans and more than twice that of Independents.
Political Data, Incorporated Vice President Paul Mitchell, whose firm "Redistricting Partners" drew the lines for Proposition 50, expects a motivated electorate to take advantage of early voting.
"It's a one-issue ballot," Mitchell said. "And I expect that what you'll see is an electorate that has basically decided and it's just going to be a turnout game for the campaigns right now."
Mitchell says counties will start reporting their ballot return within the first 72 hours.