Over 4.5 million ballots were cast, either by mail or in person, as of Sunday, Oct. 26, according to the California secretary of state’s office. Related: Southern California’s guide to Prop. 50, the 2025 redistricting election

Eleven percent of Prop. 50 supporters are reluctant, saying they’ll vote for the measure, but it is a “bad idea.”

California lawmakers who voted in favor of Proposition 50 could be barred from running for public office for up to 10 years under a proposed ballot initiative. The measure, formally titled the

President Trump, repeating the false claim that he lost the 2020 election because it was rigged, argued that the same would occur in the November special election as he urged GOP voters to not vote early or by mail.

"The ‘Yes' campaign has overwhelmed the ‘No' side" during the final push, said veteran ballot measure strategist Brandon Castillo.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the former majority leader and Bakersfield Republican, was expected to raise $100 million but has so far raised just under $11 million towards his national opposition campaign, No on 50 - Stop Sacramento’s Power Grab, according to campaign records.

For many, this special election on Proposition 50 isn’t just about lines on a map. It’s about making their voices heard during a tense political moment.

California voters will soon decide the fate of Proposition 50, a measure that would further embroil the state in the midst of a bitter conflict for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

It’s common to see election observers at voting stations, but generally less so for them to come from the federal government. Some from the Trump administration will be on the ground in several California counties next month.

“There’s a familiarity in my district,” Gonzalez said.

Partisans like Hsia and Zavala are fired up. So is Democratic volunteer Debbie Raucher of Oakland, who’s been spending weekends knocking on doors to encourage Yes on 50 votes, and Republicans in San Jose like Carol Pefley who hang “No on 50” banners over freeway overpasses during rush hour. But across the Bay Area, others are barely tuning in.