You may have already received your ballot in the mail for the upcoming Nov. 4 Special Election.
On the ballot is Proposition 50, also known as the Election Rigging Response Act. It is reported to be a response to the redrawing of congressional district lines in Texas, which allowed the state to gain a few more seats in the House of Representatives. If it passes, it could change the way California's Congressional districts are drawn until 2030.
The San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder's Office usually has about a year to prepare for elections. This time, prep time was only 74 days.
Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano said she has never seen a special election be called for just one ballot measure.
“Normally, if there is a special election called, it involves candidates. So for a special election to be called solely on just a ballot question, a ballot measure, is something very new to me," Cano said.
Prop. 50 targets a few key Republican-led districts, including Kern, Kings, Tulare and Riverside counties. If voters decide to vote in favor of it, it could help California Democrats gain seats in the House of Representatives.
While election results likely won’t change things for San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara counties, votes still matter.
Erin Clausen, Public Information Officer with the SLO County Clerk-Recorder's Office, said they have already received several votes by mail.
“We're a pretty purple county and you never know how something's going to go. This is a hotly contested ballot proposition," Clausen said. "So you know, we're as curious as anyone to see what happens.”
The last day to register to vote is October 20. In-person voting is scheduled to take place on November 4.
