California Proposition 11, Creation of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission Initiative (2008)

California Proposition 11
Election date November 4, 2008
Topic Redistricting policy
Status Approved
Type Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute

California Proposition 11 was on the ballot as a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute in California on November 4, 2008. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported transferring the legislative redistricting power from elected representatives to a 14-member commission; establishing a process for selecting commissioners; and requiring a supermajority vote to approve redistricting map.

A "no" vote opposed transferring the legislative redistricting power from elected representatives to a 14-member commission; establishing a process for selecting commissioners; and requiring a supermajority vote to approve a redistricting map.

Aftermath

See also: California Proposition 20, Congressional Redistricting Initiative (2010)

In 2010, California voters approved Proposition 20, which tasked the California Citizens Redistricting Commission with drawing the boundaries of California's U.S. congressional districts. Proposition 20 was approved by 61.3% of voters,

Proposition 27, an effort to entirely repeal Proposition 11, was also on the November 2, 2010 ballot. Voters rejected it with 59.5% of voters rejecting it.

Election results

California Proposition 11
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		6,095,033	50.82%
No		5,897,655	49.18%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

How did Proposition 11 change redistricting in California?

See also: Text of measure

Proposition 11 authorized the creation of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, a 14-member commission with the responsibility of drawing the geographic boundaries of the state's 120 legislative districts and four Board of Equalization districts every 10 years. Previously, the task of setting these boundaries fell to the California State Legislature. It did not change how congressional districts were drawn, which the state legislature did at the time of the election.

Proposition 11 also required that the commission use the following criteria to draw districts:

• consisting of reasonably equal populations;
• complying with the federal Voting Rights Act;
• minimizing the division of counties and municipal districts;
• maintaining communities of interest and neighborhoods;
• comprising Senate districts of two adjacent Assembly districts and BOE districts of 10 adjacent Senate districts; and
• consisting of geographically compact districts.

It also prohibited the maps from favoring or discriminating against political incumbents, candidates, or parties.

What were the qualifications to serve on the commission?

Proposition 11 required the commission applicants to:

• be registered voters;
• show consistent voter registration for the past five years;
• have voted in two of the last three general elections; and
• in the last 10 years, the applicant or a close relative cannot have been a federal or state political candidate, lobbyist, or donor of $2,000 or more to a candidate.

The commission was also designed to consist of five Democratic members, five Republican members, and four members of neither party.

Who supported and opposed Proposition 11?

See also: Support and Opposition

Yes on 11 led the campaign in support of Proposition 11. The campaign was endorsed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), California Common Cause, California NAACP State Conference, and League of Women Voters of California. Three PACs registered to support Proposition 11, and together they reported over $16.5 million in contributions. Leon Panetta, former Democratic congressman and former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton (D): "The passage of Proposition 11 would be a major first step toward improving the political system. Ending the conflict of interest inherent in California’s redistricting process and replacing it with one that is open, inclusive and adheres to clear rules that respond to voters, rather than incumbents, is a critical part of systemic reform. I believe strongly that incumbents should have the chance to continue serving their constituencies if that’s what their constituents want — but the ultimate decision must rest with the voters."

Citizens for Accountability: No on Proposition 11 led the campaign in opposition to Proposition 11. The campaign was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D), U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D), California Democratic Party, and California Federation of Teachers. One PAC registered to oppose the initiative. It reported over $1.6 million in contributions. Arturo Vargas of National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, said, "Proposition 11 will split the job of drawing districts in two. The commission will oversee districts for the state Legislature. The Legislature, meanwhile, will continue to draw the lines governing Congress. Aside from the obvious inefficiency, having two entities means concerned citizens will have to monitor and participate in two different processes occurring simultaneously. While we know the shortcomings of the current system all too well, we cannot support Proposition 11, which risks giving our community little or no representation when crucial decisions are made."

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 11 was as follows:

“

Redistricting. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“

• Changes authority for establishing Assembly, Senate, and Board of Equalization district boundaries from elected representatives to 14 member commission. • Requires government auditors to select 60 registered voters from applicant pool. Permits legislative leaders to reduce pool, then the auditors pick eight commission members by lottery, and those commissioners pick six additional members for 14 total. • Requires commission of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four of neither party. Commission shall hire lawyers and consultants as needed. • For approval, district boundaries need votes from three Democratic commissioners, three Republican commissioners and three commissioners from neither party.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Constitutional changes

The successful passage of Proposition 11 changed parts of the California Constitution. It:

• Amended Section 1 of Article XXI.
• Added a new Section 2 to Article XXI.
• Added a new Section 3 to Article XXI.

Fiscal impact

See also: Fiscal impact statement

The fiscal estimate provided by the California Legislative Analyst's Office said:

“

Potential increase in state redistricting costs once every ten years due to two entities performing redistricting. Any increase in costs probably would not be significant.

”

Support

Yes on 11 led the campaign in support of Proposition 11.

Supporters

Officials

• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)

Former Officials

• Former Gov. Gray Davis (D)

Unions

• California Police Chiefs Association

Organizations

• AARP California
• ACLU SoCal
• California Black Chamber of Commerce
• California Common Cause
• California NAACP State Conference
• League of Women Voters of California
• Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce

Individuals

• Charles Munger, Jr. - Chairman of Spirit of Democracy

Arguments

• Leon Panetta, former Democratic congressman and former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton (D): "The passage of Proposition 11 would be a major first step toward improving the political system. Ending the conflict of interest inherent in California’s redistricting process and replacing it with one that is open, inclusive and adheres to clear rules that respond to voters, rather than incumbents, is a critical part of systemic reform. I believe strongly that incumbents should have the chance to continue serving their constituencies if that’s what their constituents want — but the ultimate decision must rest with the voters."
• Steven Reyes, co-author of Proposition 11: "Passing Proposition 11 will instead help ensure that our communities, including ethnic communities, can no longer be broken up on district maps simply to benefit elected officials’ re-election prospects. In the 2001 redistricting, for example, the predominantly Asian-American San Gabriel Valley was split into four separate Senate districts, and Watts in Los Angeles was split into three Senate districts. Proposition 11 would help these communities stay together to have a unified voice in Sacramento. The protections afforded by the Voting Rights Act have long suffered under adverse U.S. Supreme Court rulings – Proposition 11 helps hold the line so that we don’t lose important, hard-fought protections for minority communities."
• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R): "This is a fixed system. A system that rewards legislators for rigid partisanship, and a system that punishes legislators for wanting to come in the middle and to go for compromise."

Official arguments

The official arguments submitted to the California Voter Guide were signed by Janis R. Hirohama, president of the League of Women Voters of California; Teresa Casazza, president of the California Taxpayers’ Association Jeannine English, president of AARP California:

“

THE POLITICIANS WANT TO CONFUSE VOTERS, BUT THE CHOICE IS SIMPLE: Bipartisan Groups Urge You to Vote YES on Prop. 11, FOR CHANGE in Sacramento. Good government, senior, consumer, business, and taxpayer organizations are asking you to vote YES on Prop. 11 (note some of the signers of this ballot argument). The Politicians Oppose Change and Want You to Vote NO. On the NO side of this measure are politicians, political insiders, and political party elites who will do or say almost anything to stop change and protect the status quo. YES ON PROP. 11: CHANGE IN SACRAMENTO There is a serious conflict of interest when legislators are allowed to draw their own district boundaries. They divide up neighborhoods and communities to create districts where they are virtually guaranteed reelection. Once elected, these politicians aren’t accountable to voters because they don’t have to earn our votes. Instead, they pay more attention to the special interests. 'The current system where politicians draw their own districts is rigged to make sure they get reelected. Prop. 11 will put voters back in charge and make it easier to vote them out of office if they’re not doing their job.' — Pete Constant, Retired San Jose Police Officer YES ON PROP. 11: PUT VOTERS IN CHARGE Prop. 11 will end this conflict of interest by establishing an independent citizens commission to draw districts so that they are fair. Standards required by this measure will assure that districts are drawn so they don’t divide neighborhoods and communities. The commission will include Democrats, Republicans, and independents, and the process will be open to the public. This will assure a balanced, inclusive process that produces fair districts. 'If legislators don’t have to compete to get reelected, they have no accountability to voters. That means they don’t have to work together to solve problems like education, health care, roads, crime, and the state budget. Prop. 11 will keep politicians tuned-in to voter needs.' — Jodi Serrano, Public School Teacher, Sacramento YES ON PROP. 11: HOLD THE POLITICIANS ACCOUNTABLE Many of the problems we face in California are a direct result of politicians not being accountable to voters. When they draw their own districts, we end up with gridlock and nothing gets done. 'It’s time to send the politicians a message and change Sacramento. That’s why I’m voting YES on Prop. 11.' — Mike Holley, Owner, Apogee Publications, Whittier Proposition 11 will help end the gridlock and force the politicians to start solving problems. If they don’t, we can vote them out of office because they’ll have to run in fair districts. 'Democrats, Republicans, independents, and people from every walk of life and every corner of the state support Prop. 11 to send a strong message to politicians that it’s time to quit playing games and work together to get California back on track.' — Eligio Nava, President, Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce PLEASE JOIN US IN VOTING YES ON PROP. 11. Check it out for yourself: YesonProp11.org

”

Opposition

Citizens for Accountability: No on Proposition 11 led the campaign in opposition to Proposition 11.

Opponents

Officials

• U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D)
• U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D)

Political Parties

• California Democratic Party

Unions

• California Federation of Teachers
• State Building and Construction Trades Council of California

Organizations

• NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Arguments

• Arturo Vargas, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials: "Proposition 11 will split the job of drawing districts in two. The commission will oversee districts for the state Legislature. The Legislature, meanwhile, will continue to draw the lines governing Congress. Aside from the obvious inefficiency, having two entities means concerned citizens will have to monitor and participate in two different processes occurring simultaneously. While we know the shortcomings of the current system all too well, we cannot support Proposition 11, which risks giving our community little or no representation when crucial decisions are made."
• Paul Hefner, spokesperson for No on Proposition 11: "If you want to see the same sort of gridlock with redistricting that we've seen in the budget, then Prop. 11 is your answer."

Official arguments

The official arguments in opposition to Proposition 11 submitted to the California Voter Guide were signed by Daniel H. Lowenstein, former chair of Fair Political Practices Commission; Robert Balgenorth, president of the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California; and Martin Hittelman, president of California Federation of Teachers:

“

Faced with real problems—budget deficits, rising gas prices, and a shaky economy—what do the politicians bring us? Prop. 11—another nonsensical scheme to change how we draw lines between one district and another. What are they thinking? Redistricting may not mean much to you, but for some politicians, it’s all they care about. Five times, they’ve spent millions on lawyers, consultants, and paid signature gatherers to put a new scheme on the ballot. Every time, voters said 'NO.' The forces behind Prop. 11 don’t respect California’s voters, so they’re back again. What do they REALLY want? Power for themselves, at your expense. They know redistricting is about power. They want to rewrite our Constitution to suit themselves. PROP. 11 UNDERMINES DEMOCRACY Prop. 11 gives the final say for the entire state to a 14-member 'redistricting commission' never elected by the people. You don’t get a choice. There’s no guarantee they’ll represent you or your neighbors. That’s why community organizations oppose Prop. 11. Prop. 11 sets aside 10 of the 14 commission seats for partisan members of the two biggest political parties—and gives them veto power over almost every decision. If the big party representatives don’t go along—nothing gets done. What does that mean? Political insiders will keep carving up the state to serve their own interests. PROP. 11 GIVES POWER TO BUREAUCRATS Prop. 11 doesn’t keep politicians out of redistricting—it just lets them hide behind a tangled web of bureaucrats picked for their political ties. It actually takes state auditors off the job of rooting out government waste to spend time screening commission applications. Who picks the commission? Bureaucrats. They decide who’s qualified. And then the four most powerful legislators can reject anyone they want. That’s reform? PROP. 11 MEANS TWO BUREAUCRACIES INSTEAD OF ONE Prop. 11 only gives this new commission half the job. It leaves the other half—drawing Congressional districts—to the state Legislature. So Prop. 11 means paying for two of everything: two sets of attorneys, two teams of consultants, working out of two different offices—with neither one working together or sharing resources. PROP. 11 PROVIDES NO ACCOUNTABILITY TO TAXPAYERS Prop. 11 guarantees each commission member $300 a day, plus expenses, with no limit. There’s also no limit on how many attorneys, consultants, and staff the commission hires, or how much it spends for offices, hearings, and outreach. And there’s nothing requiring auditors to examine the commission’s spending for waste and abuse. PROP. 11 AN EMPTY PROMISE Read it yourself. It makes big promises, but never delivers. Voters get no say over who draws districts. Instead, we get a new bureaucracy with no accountability and no spending limits. Prop. 11 really means a lot of political insiders keep their power—a few get even more—and the rest of us get less. That’s not reform—that’s a hidden agenda that does nothing to address the real problems facing our state. Visit www.noonprop11.org—and vote NO!

”

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for California ballot measures

Three PACs registered to support Proposition 11, and one registered to oppose the initiative.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$13,360,492.94	$3,178,640.78	$16,539,133.72	$13,068,684.44	$16,247,325.22
Oppose	$1,436,777.00	$197,515.85	$1,634,292.85	$1,639,292.85	$1,836,808.70
Total	$14,797,269.94	$3,376,156.63	$18,173,426.57	$14,707,977.29	$18,084,133.92

Support

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committees in support of the measure.

Committees in support of Proposition 11
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Yes on 11 - Hold Politicians Accountable	$9,399,075.93	$572,220.65	$9,971,296.58	$9,049,865.51	$9,622,086.16
California Voters First, Yes on 11 for Change in Sacramento	$3,894,611.01	$2,550,170.13	$6,444,781.14	$3,987,153.52	$6,537,323.65
Common Cause for Fair Redistricting - Yes on Prop 11 Fund	$66,806.00	$56,250.00	$123,056.00	$31,665.41	$87,915.41
Total	$13,360,492.94	$3,178,640.78	$16,539,133.72	$13,068,684.44	$16,247,325.22

Donors

The following were the top donors to the committees.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Governor Schwarzenegger's California Dream Team	$1,056,921.93	$2,227,287.00	$3,284,208.93
Charles T. Munger, Jr.	$1,367,000.00	$0.00	$1,367,000.00
Brian L. Harvey	$650,000.00	$0.00	$650,000.00
Jerry Perenchio	$525,000.00	$0.00	$525,000.00
Reed Hastings	$147,307.01	$206,287.67	$353,594.68

Opposition

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in opposition to the measure.

Committees in opposition to Proposition 11
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Citizens for Accountability - No on Prop 11	$1,436,777.00	$197,515.85	$1,634,292.85	$1,639,292.85	$1,836,808.70
Total	$1,436,777.00	$197,515.85	$1,634,292.85	$1,639,292.85	$1,836,808.70

Donors

The following were the top donors to the committee.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
AFSCME	$400,000.00	$0.00	$400,000.00
Democratic State Central Committee of California	$380,000.00	$16,438.55	$396,438.55
California Correctional Peace Officers Association Truth in American Government Fund	$250,000.00	$0.00	$250,000.00
Leadership California	$129,000.00	$61,910.63	$190,910.63
Members' Voice of the State Building Trades	$50,000.00	$0.00	$50,000.00
Pace of California School Employees Association	$50,000.00	$0.00	$50,000.00

Media editorials

2008 propositions
February 5
Proposition 91 • Proposition 92
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Proposition 97
June 3
Proposition 98 • Proposition 99
November 4
Proposition 1A • Proposition 2
Proposition 5 • Proposition 6
Proposition 7 • Proposition 8
Proposition 9 • Proposition 10
Proposition 11 • Proposition 12
Local measures

Support

The following media editorial boards published an editorial supporting the ballot measure:

• The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board: "Proposition 11 would take away politicians' power to draw their own district lines."
• The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board: "Every 10 years, the state lawmakers who have mismanaged California's finances and governance get a reward for their hard work. They get to design their own legislative districts. It's one of the Capitol's most egregious conflicts of interest, and it needs to end. Proposition 11 would end it."
• Ventura County Star Editorial Board: "It's time to make elections more competitive by turning redistricting over to a commission not motivated by political self-preservation. The Star urges voters to pass Proposition 11."
• The Modesto Bee Editorial Board: "Drawing district lines to make the races more competitive would have the effect of pulling California politics closer to the moderate center, and away from the liberal and conservative fringes where power now resides. In today’s heavily Republican or Democratic districts, winning the primary is tantamount to automatic victory in the general election. That would not be the case in more competitive districts."

Opposition

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Are you aware of a poll on this ballot measure that should be included below? You can share ballot measure polls, along with source links, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

California Proposition 11, Creation of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission Initiative (2008)
Poll	Dates	Sample size	Margin of error	Support	Oppose	Undecided

SurveyUSA	10/15/08 - 10/16/08	615 LV	± 4.0%	24%	24%	52%
	Question: "Proposition 11 is about "Redistricting." It creates a 14-member commission to draw new boundaries for State Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization districts.. On Proposition 11, are you ... Certain to vote yes? Certain to vote no? Or not certain?"

Public Policy Institute of California	10/12/08 - 10/19/08	1,186 LV	± 3.0%	41%	34%	25%
	Question: "Proposition 11 is called the ‘Redistricting Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute…’ If the election were held today, would you vote yes or no on Proposition 11?"

Public Policy Institute of California	9/09/08 - 9/16/08	1,157 LV	± 3.0%	38%	33%	29%
	Question: "Proposition 11 is called the ‘Redistricting Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.’ If the election were held today, would you vote yes or no on Proposition 11?"

Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters.

Path to the ballot

See also: California signature requirements

Process in California

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in California

A combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends both a state's constitution and state statute. There are at least two (2) states that allow citizens to initiate combined amendments and statutes.

In California, the number of signatures required for a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute is equal to 8% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.

The requirements to get combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statutes certified for the 2008 ballot:

• Signatures: 694,354 valid signatures were required.
• Deadline: The deadline for signature verification was June 26, 2008.

Stages of this ballot initiative

• May 6, 2008: Sponsors of the initiative filed signatures with election officials.
• June 17, 2008: The secretary of state reported that the initiative petition had qualified for the ballot.

Sponsors of the measure hired Kimball Petition Management to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $2,642,988.40 was spent to collect the 694,354 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $3.81.

See also

2008 Measures

• 2008 Measures
• Redistricting policy on the ballot
• 2008 legislative sessions

California

• California ballot measures
• California ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

Suggest a link

Basic information:

• Official Voter's Guide to Proposition 11
• League of Women Voters, Time line of the initiative
• Full text of Proposition 11
• Proposition 11 in the Smart Voter Guide
• Analysis of Proposition 11 from the Institute of Governmental Studies
• Guide to Proposition 11 from the California Voter Foundation
• Summary of donors to and against Proposition 11 from Cal-Access
• Donors for and against Proposition 11 from Follow The Money
• Voter Minute video on Prop 11
• Video of Prop 11 debate

Supporters:

• Yes on Prop 11, official website supporting Proposition 11
• California Common Cause website
• Financial details of support committee
• Join Arnold

Opponents:

• No on Prop 11, official website opposing Proposition 11