Upcoming Elections

Nov. 4 Special Election - facts, no opinions

Two Ballot Measures in Nevada County

In November, there will be two measures on the ballot in our county. Truckee voters will be asked to decide on a local bond measure for the Truckee library. All voters in our county will be presented with a proposition asking all California registered voters if Congressional district maps in our state should be redrawn for temporary use.

Local ballot measure for Truckee

This special election will also provide voters registered in Truckee the ability to vote on a Special Tax and Bond measure for the Truckee Library. See the election details of that measure here.

Statewide ballot measure - Proposition 50

Registered voters across California will decide whether the boundaries of Congressional districts in our state will be redrawn. District 1 and District 3 - close to home here in Nevada County - are among the districts most likely to have a different rfepresentative elected in the 2026 midterms.

What is a congressional district?

The U.S. Congress is the part of the federal government that makes laws. Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives (House). Each of the 50 states is represented by 2 senators, with 100 senators in total. The House currently has 435 members. The number of Representatives in the House depends on how many people live in each state according to the nationwide census that is conducted every ten years. Each member in the House represents an area of the state called a Congressional District. California currently has 52 congressional districts. Voters registerd in each Congressional District elect one member of the House every two years to represent them. The next election for Representatives in all states is in 2026.

The last census was in 2020 and the next one is in 2030. Each time the count from the census becomes available, it is used to determine how many Representatives each state will have for the next ten years. States are responsible for drawing the new congressional district maps. This process is called redistricting.

Each state decides what process to use to draw its new district maps. In most states, the state legislature draws the maps, and some states use independent commissions to do this job. In California, the Legislature drew the state's congressional district maps until 2010. In 2010, California voters gave that job to the Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission). The Commission has 14 members: 5 Democratic members, 5 Republican members, and 4 members who are not registered with either of those political parties.

How Prop 50 came to be

Although new congressional district maps are redrawn every 10 years to coincide with the census, in August 2025, the Texas Legislature redrew new maps with the intent to increase the liklihood that five Democratic Texas representatives be replaced by five Republican representatives in the midterm election in 2026. This was done by the state legislature and not put to the voters. Several other states also are considering changes to their maps for the same reason.

California state lawmakers responded to this mid-cycle redistricting in Texas by calling for a special election in November in which voters will decide if they want congressional maps to be redrawn. If approved, the result will likely be an increase of five Democratic congressional seats in California, countermanding the likely increase of five Republican congressional seats in Texas.

What is Prop 50?

If the majority of California voters vote YES on PROP 50, 2 things would happen:

California's current congressional district maps drawn in 2010 by the Commission, would be replaced with new temporary maps drawn by the state legislature. The total number of districts would not change, but the number of Democrats vs. Republican Representatives from California could change. The maps from Prop 50 would be used until 2030. The intent is to temporarity give Democratic party candidates a greater chance to win 5 seats in the June 2026 mid-term election that are currently held by Republicans, as follows:
- Republican Representatives Doug LaMalfa (District 1), Kevin Kiley (District 3), David Valadao (District 22), Darrell Issa (District 48), and Ken Calvert (District 41) could be replaced by Democrats.

When the next Census is conducted in 2030, California's Citizen's Redistricting Commission would resume drawing the new district maps for all elections occuring after 2031.

YES vote on Prop 50 means: You want California to use temporary congressional maps in elections between now and 2030. These maps would give Democrats an unfair advantage over Republicans in 5 districts to counterbalance the unfair advantage being given to Republicans in other states.

NO vote on Prop 50 means: You want the Congressional map boundaries in California to remain the same regardless of unfair actions in other states.

Proposed Map

Current Map

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

Watch this short video on a very high level description of Prop 50 and what a congressional district is. A more detailed video is planned to be available around the beginning of October.

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 actual 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. This statement from The League of Women Voters of California explains the state League's stance, which shifts the focus to empowering California voters.

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.