Upcoming Elections

California Special Election - November 4, 2025

A Local Election with Huge National Stakes

The 2025 California special election will determine if Congressional voting districts in California will be temporarily altered until 2031. If Prop 50 passes, Nevada County's District 3 will undergo significant changes, potentially shifting the direction of the U.S. Congress and federal government. You can find the new and old map here.

Voters in Truckee will also decide on Measure G, a bond issue to fund the local liabrary.

Watch these videos to see you what you need to know:

Video: Why a Special Election & Why Prop 50?

Read more about 2025 Election and Prop 50 Summary

Truckee ballot measure - Special Tax and Bond

Voters registered in the Truckee Library Community Facilities District will be voting on Measure G, a bond measure for the creation of a new library and community space in Truckee.

The voting and bond district includes the city of Truckee, Placer County into Northstar, Martis Camp and Donner Summit, not quite encompassing the entire Tahoe-Truckee United School District.

The current library, originally built for 2,000 cardholders, has a maximum capacity of 54 people and now has 15,000 cardholders. Construction of the new library is expected to begin in 2027 at Truckee Regional Park.

Funding from the bond will generate approximately 43% of the revenue for the new space. The remaining revenue is from grants and private funding. A significant amount of private funding and funds from Friends of the Truckee Library has already been received.

The project managers and town council are looking to utilize the new facility to fill gaps in local infrastructure, including as an emergency resource center with permanent backup power, and as an internet-available space for students, educators and underserved communities in Truckee.

The bond needs a 2/3 YES vote to pass.

People who support Measure G say the library is already at the pre construction stage with a lot of the private funding in place so it is ready to go if Measure G passes. They also say that Truckee is overdue for a larger library, as the current one was built for a much smaller population.

Those who oppose Measure G say that the tax to support it will fall on property owners instead of being shared by everyone in the community through a sales tax. They also say the construction may impede usage of the park.

For full detail on Measure G check here.

Statewide ballot measure - Proposition 50 Summary

California voters will decide if California's current Congressional map drawn by the Citizen’s Redistricting Commission (Commission) will be replaced with a temporary map drawn by our state lawmakers. The new map would be used in elections between 2026 through 2030 and then responsibility to draw the map returns to the Commission. Prop 50 and this special election are in response to the recent redistricting done in Texas and other states aimed at benefiting Republican Congressional candidates in those states in the 2026 election.

YES vote on Prop 50 means:

A YES vote means you support using a temporary congressional map in California that was drawn by the state legislature for elections between 2026 through 2030 and have the Citizens Redistricting Commission resume drawing the map in 2031.

NO vote on Prop 50 means:

A NO vote means you want to continue using the current map drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission with no changes until after the 2030 census.

What is a congressional district?

Congressional representation in each state is based on dividing the state into districts where voters elect representatives to the U.S. Congress. These representatives create laws, manage the federal budget, declare war, and oversee the President. The number of representatives from each state is based on its population. Currently, California has 52 of the 435 representatives. Elections for representatives occur every two years, with the next one in 2026.

Every ten years, the census determines how many representatives each state receives, prompting a process called redistricting, where states redraw their congressional district maps. The next census will be in 2030.

In California, redistricting is done by a Citizens Redistricting Commission made up of 14 citizens. This Commission includes 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and 4 members who are not registered with either of those political parties. Redistricting in most states is done by the state legislature.

How Prop 50 came to be. Why a Special Election? Why not wait for the census?

Although states normally redraw their congressional district boundaries after the U.S. Census, the Texas legislature created a new congressional district map for their state this year, in addition to when it was redrawn after the 2020 census. Their stated purpose for drawing a new map now instead of waiting for the 2030 census was to replace five Democratic representatives from Texas with Republican representatives in the upcoming 2026 election for Congressional Representatives. These changes were made by the Texas state legislature without seeking voter approval.

In response to Texas’ early redistricting this year, California lawmakers redrew our state’s congressional map and have called a special election this November for voters to decide if this new map will be used in elections for Congressional Representatives from 2026 through 2030. The new map proposed in Prop 50 increases the percentage of registered Democrats in several districts and is projected to replace five Republican Congressional Representatives from California with Democrats.

What Prop 50 would do and how it would impact Nevada County

If the majority of California voters vote YES on PROP 50, California's current congressional district map drawn in 2020 by the Commission, would be temporarily replaced with a new map drawn by state lawmakers. The total number of districts would remain the same, but some districts boundaries would change significantly.

Today, all of Nevada County is in District 3, along with 9 other counties along the eastern border of California from the Plumas National Forest to Death Valley. Under Prop 50, all of Nevada County would remain in District 3 along with Placer, El Dorado counties and a small portion of Sacramento County, making District 3 much more compact. District 3 would lose Republican-leaning areas in the Eastern Sierra and gain a more Democratic-leaning region near Sacramento. This shift puts Nevada County's current representative, Republican Kevin Kiley, at risk of being replaced by a Democrat in the June 2026 election.

What Happens in 2030 when Prop 50 Expires?

After the 2030 census occurs, the Citizens Redistricting Commission will reconvene and redraw the Congressional map for our state. The number of districts will be based on the results of the census. The boundaries of each district will be based on the Commission's guidelines - not on anything that is suggested or dictated by the state legislature or Governor. The Commissions process is explained here: https://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/faqs/

The Commission and it's charter are included in the state constitution. That is why Prop 50 is a constitutional amendment and required a 2/3 vote from the legislature to be placed on the ballot (although a simple majority vote from registered voters will pass it).

When drawing the maps, the Commission must follow these criteria in the following order:

Equal population
Districts must comply with the U.S. Constitution’s “one person, one vote” requirement (i.e., districts must have equal (or nearly equal) population).
Voting Rights Act compliance
Districts must comply with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 so that minority populations have an equal opportunity to elect a representative of their choice.
Contiguity
A district must be geographically contiguous. Every census block (or unit) in the district must border at least one other block/unit in that same district. Islands count as connected to the nearest landmass
Minimize division of political subdivisions & communities of interest
Districts should, to the extent possible and consistent with the higher‑ranked criteria, minimize splitting of cities, counties, neighborhoods, and communities that share social, economic, or cultural interests that would benefit from being in the same district, and without regard to incumbents or political parties.
Geographic compactness
Where feasible (again consistent with the higher criteria), districts should be geographically compact and nearby populations should not be bypassed in favor of more distant ones. This requirement refers to population/density rather than how the district is shaped.
Nesting
Where practicable and to the extent it does not conflict with the prior criteria:
- Each State Senate district should be comprised of two whole and adjacent Assembly districts.
- Each State Board of Equalization district should consist of 10 whole and adjacent Senate districts.

SUPPORTERS say (NOT THE OPINION OF LWV):

The current map drawn by the Commission doesn’t sufficiently counter unfair map manipulation in other states. New legislative maps propsed by Prop 50 will neutralize those threats.
Prop 50 is a temporary emergency plan to help neutralize Congressional maps in other states that are drawn with the intent to favor Republican candidates.
Longstanding norms of governance are being upended and Democratic gains are being stifled across the country by the current President. We are in the concentration-of-power phase of a backsliding democracy and the tools that we have normally used are not the ones that are working right now.
The proposed map is more compact with fewer cities & counties split.

OPPOSERS say (NOT THE OPINION OF LWV):

Replacing a Commission-drawn map with a map drawn by politicians is just more partisan manipulation. It reduces everything to how it will affect a particular political party and deepens partisan division among citizens.
Even though it’s “temporary,” midcycle redistricting sets a precedent for legislative control over map drawing
Even with the current map, more Democrats could be elected based on voter sentiment if citizens unite and choose candidates committed to preserving democracy, rather than voting strictly along party lines.
Unfairly drawing maps is fighting for democracy by getting rid of democratic principles.

What is Clearly Established About Prop 50

The legal/constitutional impacts of Prop 50: Commission maps would be replaced with Legislature- drawn maps for the period 2026–2030. Refer to the Legislative Analyst's Office and the California Secretary of State.
The definitions of “Yes” vs “No” and what happens under each: The outcome is laid out in clear terms. Refer to the Legislative Analyst's Office.
The financial contributions FOR and AGAINST: These contributions are substantial and fairly well documented at California Secretary of State and Ballotpedia.

What’s Less Clear / Disputed / Open Questions

Impact on competitiveness / partisan balance: While it’s clear that maps will change, exactly how many districts representativs will change, how voter demographics will be affected, how competitive certain seats will become or whether they will favor one party more, is based on projections and assumptions.
Cost / implementation logistics: Actual cost estimates to the state are based on uncertain assumptions. In Nevada County, costs to administer the election will be approximately $700K, which is significantly less than 1% of the county budget.

Proposed Map

Current Map

2025 Special Election Dates & Deadlines

October 6, 2025: Nevada county elections office will begin mailing ballots.
October 7, 2025: Ballot drop-off locations open.
October 20, 2025: Last day to register to vote for the November 4, 2025, Special Election.
October 25, 2025: Early in-person voting begins.

For more information

Interested in observing the elections process? Check out the county observer opportunities here.

11 minute Video: high level description of Prop 50 and congressional district description.

The maps: Current District Map; Proposed Map; Map of Proposed Overlaid on Current Districts

If you're wondering who your representative is and what district you live in, you can find out here.

The legal text of the bill that proposes Prop 50 is here.

Special Election information from the California Secretary of State can be seen here.

For background on how this election and Proposition 50 came about click here.

State League will not take a position on Prop 50. This statement from The League of Women Voters of California explains the state League's stance.

2026 elections

June 2, 2026 Primary election

The California Primary Election on June 2, 2026 will include all Nevada County registered voters. This election will include various local, state, and Congressional offices.

Key dates related to this election include:

Last day to register to vote: May 18, 2026
Vote-by-mail ballots will begin to be mailed: May 4, 2026
Early voting sites will open: May 4, 2026

Nov. 4, 2026 gubernatorial election

The California state Governor and Congressional offices will be on this ballot. You can see more details on this election here.

How to register to vote

It's important to have your current address on your voter registration - and changing your address is easy. Check if you are currently registered to vote at your current address here. If you don't get registered before election day, you can still vote by going to a Voting Location to register and vote on the same day as the election. If you need to register and vote from home, contact the County Elections Office to find out how to register and get a vote by mail ballot through Election Day.

Everyone in California Receives a Vote-By-Mail Ballot

All California registered voters will receive a Vote-By-Mail ballot at the address listed when they registered. Check if you are currently registered to vote at your current address here. You can fill out your ballot and return it by mail, at a drop-off location, or at the County Elections Office at 950 Maidu Ave, Nevada City. You can also vote in person. The in-person voting locations offer voter registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines, and language assistance. In-person vote centers and ballot drop-of locations for the previous election were here. Locations for the upcoming elections have not yet been confirmed.