Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Gabbard Revokes Security Clearances of 37 Current, Former US Intelligence Members

16 hours ago

Trump Escalates Attacks Against the Smithsonian Institution

17 hours ago

California Republicans File Suit Seeking to Block Newsom Redistricting Plan

18 hours ago

Revised Congressional Maps Target Valadao, Boost Gray in the Valley

19 hours ago

Dollar Slips as Traders Wait on Jackson Hole

20 hours ago

Tesla Drivers Can Pursue Class Action Over Self-Driving Claims, Judge Rules

21 hours ago

Trump Eyes Reclassification to Make Cannabis Easier to Buy and Sell

2 days ago

America’s Wildfire Fighters, Unmasked in Toxic Smoke, Are Getting Sick and Dying

2 days ago

US Offers Up to $50,000 Bonus for New ICE Deportation Officers

2 days ago
In California, People Can Ensure Fair Elections. Let's Get Started.
gvw_calmatters
By CalMatters
Published 6 years ago on
June 14, 2019

Share

Headlines across the country have detailed Supreme Court actions regarding various state gerrymandering scandals, the politicizing the Census, and attempts by some states to create new ways to draw district lines after receiving 2020 Census data.


Elaine M. Howle
Special to CALmatters
California was not a part of any of those stories. More than a decade ago, California voters took the job of redistricting out of the hands of politicians and gave it to a first-ever citizens commission. The result is a process that ensures fairness and equity in campaigns. And we’re about to take our second walk down that very important road.
The Voters FIRST Act, passed at the urging of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Common Cause, California Forward, the League of Women Voters, major business interests, and others, put everyday California citizens in charge of what might be the most important function of democracy: making sure every person in every state is fairly represented, no matter their ethnicity, demography, language, party, age or culture.
The Citizens Redistricting Commission was made up of 14 individuals, from both major parties and minor ones and those with no party preference. It took over redrawing congressional, state Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization lines based on data from the new census.
People, not politicians, were tasked with guaranteeing fair elections. They had the power to establish equitable and fair political districts. Since we only do this every decade, the commissioners had to draw lines that could withstand time, fairness, and legal challenges.

Ten Years Ago, Nearly 30,000 Californians Applied

The original initiative charged my office, the California State Auditor, with overseeing the outreach and selection of the first commission and all future commissions. The drafters of the new law knew us to be impartial and completely non-partisan.
Ten years ago, nearly 30,000 Californians submitted an initial application. I’m aiming even higher this time while still ensuring that the applicant pool is reflective of all Californians, no matter their party, or where they live or who they voted for.
My office is hard at work preparing for the next commission by partnering with business, labor, political parties, community-based organizations, and nongovernmental organizations to make sure we reach into every community throughout California.
We have traveled up and down the state telling people about this important opportunity. It’s a big task, but we welcome it.
That brings us to Monday, June 10, when, at 12:01 a.m. we began accepting applications for the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission.
Here is your chance of a lifetime, the opportunity of a decade, and your opportunity to help shape California’s future.

What a Very California Thing to Do

The Citizens Redistricting Commission needs people who have a passion for civic engagement and believe politics is better when all sides work together.
Qualified candidates must have strong analytical skills, the ability to be impartial, and an appreciation for California’s diversity, including geographic, demographic, and political diversity. If this describes you or someone you know, please consider applying at ShapeCaliforniasFuture.auditor.ca.gov.

California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission proved that democracy works best when everyone has a voice. It worked 10 years ago, and I know the new commission will succeed again. We’ve put the power in the hands of the people.
At the Shape California’s Future website, you can learn more about the selection process. The initial application period starts online today and runs through Aug. 9. It will take less than 10 minutes to fill out the application.
After the initial application period, a supplemental application period will begin. That application does require additional time. However, it also will allow you to make a more substantive case through essay questions and letters of recommendation telling us why you would be a good fit to serve.
The job will take a lot of work, but helping shape the future for all Californians for the next decade is an amazing and important opportunity.
Like so many innovative new ideas that start in California, this one is becoming a model for the nation.
California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission proved that democracy works best when everyone has a voice. It worked 10 years ago, and I know the new commission will succeed again. We’ve put the power in the hands of the people.
What a very California thing to do.
About the Author
Elaine M. Howle is California state auditor. She can be reached at ShapeCaliforniasFuture@auditor.ca.gov. Howle wrote this commentary for CALmatters.
[activecampaign form=19]

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Supervisors End Lease for Free Needle Exchange Clinic

DON'T MISS

Porterville Police Make DUI Arrest, Issue 13 Citations in Weekend Checkpoint

DON'T MISS

Trump Claims Powell ‘Hurting’ the Housing Industry in Latest Attack on Fed Chair

DON'T MISS

Everything Tennis Fans Need to Know About the 2025 U.S. Open

DON'T MISS

Madera County Warns of Contagious Canine Virus Outbreak

DON'T MISS

ESPN Won’t Air Spike Lee’s Docuseries on Colin Kaepernick, Citing ‘Creative Differences’

DON'T MISS

White House Launches Official TikTok Account

DON'T MISS

CMAC Will Award Cash Prizes at 72-Hour Film Race Screening

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified Error Skews State Teacher Data, Analysis Shows

DON'T MISS

Gabbard Revokes Security Clearances of 37 Current, Former US Intelligence Members

UP NEXT

Trump’s Domestic Deployments Are Dangerous. For the Military

UP NEXT

How Do We Bridge America’s New Segregation?

UP NEXT

California Legislature’s Final Weeks Could Decide Delta Water Tunnel’s Fate

UP NEXT

Outside Lands 2025: Where Music, Love, and Community Collide

UP NEXT

California Was a Model for Transparency. Now the Capitol Operates in the Dark

UP NEXT

It’s Not Too Late for Islas and Levine to ‘Get in Good Trouble’

UP NEXT

Newsom’s Congressional Redistricting Drive in California Faces Tall Hurdles

UP NEXT

The Trump Administration Tried to Silence Mahmoud Khalil, So I Asked Him to Talk

UP NEXT

Sen. Klobuchar Is a Democratic Bellwether, and She’s Changing Her Tune on Israel

UP NEXT

Donald Trump and John Roberts Have a Lot in Common

Everything Tennis Fans Need to Know About the 2025 U.S. Open

13 hours ago

Madera County Warns of Contagious Canine Virus Outbreak

13 hours ago

ESPN Won’t Air Spike Lee’s Docuseries on Colin Kaepernick, Citing ‘Creative Differences’

13 hours ago

White House Launches Official TikTok Account

13 hours ago

CMAC Will Award Cash Prizes at 72-Hour Film Race Screening

14 hours ago

Fresno Unified Error Skews State Teacher Data, Analysis Shows

15 hours ago

Gabbard Revokes Security Clearances of 37 Current, Former US Intelligence Members

16 hours ago

Immigrant Students Shape California’s Future. Don’t Close the Door on Them

16 hours ago

Fresno County Boardroom Will Now Display ‘In God We Trust’

16 hours ago

Founders of This New Development Say You Must Be White to Live There

17 hours ago

Fresno Supervisors End Lease for Free Needle Exchange Clinic

Fresno County Supervisors on Tuesday all agreed that the San Joaquin Valley Free Medical Clinic in downtown Fresno helps many of those harde...

11 hours ago

11 hours ago

Fresno Supervisors End Lease for Free Needle Exchange Clinic

11 hours ago

Porterville Police Make DUI Arrest, Issue 13 Citations in Weekend Checkpoint

President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speak during a tour of the Federal Reserve Board building, which is currently undergoing renovations, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 24, 2025. (Reuters File)
13 hours ago

Trump Claims Powell ‘Hurting’ the Housing Industry in Latest Attack on Fed Chair

Time Lapse Image of Tennis Star Coco Gauff
13 hours ago

Everything Tennis Fans Need to Know About the 2025 U.S. Open

Madera County Animal Services is warning pet owners about an outbreak of highly contagious canine distemper virus confirmed in the City of Madera’s riverbed area. (Shutterstock)
13 hours ago

Madera County Warns of Contagious Canine Virus Outbreak

Colin Kaepernick in 2019 workout for NFL teams
13 hours ago

ESPN Won’t Air Spike Lee’s Docuseries on Colin Kaepernick, Citing ‘Creative Differences’

President Donald Trump delivers remarks, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 14, 2025. (Reuters File)
13 hours ago

White House Launches Official TikTok Account

CMAC 72-Hour Film Race screening
14 hours ago

CMAC Will Award Cash Prizes at 72-Hour Film Race Screening

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend