SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Millions of voters across California will cast their ballots Tuesday in a statewide special election to weigh a temporary redistricting plan known as Proposition 50, which would likely allow Democrats to gain five more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Opinions are split across the state, prospective voters told The Epoch Times in the days before the Nov. 5 election.

“I’m opposed to gerrymandering, in general,” William Brown, a retiree living in Marin County, said. “This is not good for Californians.”

Others said they are excited to vote in favor of the measure.

“This is important to me because other states are trying to take our power away from us,” Jessica Munoz of Santa Rosa, Calif., said, referring to a move by Texas to redraw its congressional district maps.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Democrats pushed through the redistricting plan over the summer in response to the Lone Star State’s move to redraw its maps.

Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio also recently redrew their congressional maps.

More states—including Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, and Maryland, among others—are considering similar options.

Approximately 60 percent of likely voters responding to a Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll released Oct. 30 said they had plans to support the proposition.

Newsom has repeatedly described the vote—part of a legislative package that he signed in August known as the Election Rigging Response Act—as “California’s chance to save democracy.”

“At the end of the day, it’s about the future of our country,” Newsom said.

During a Yes on 50 rally on Nov. 1, the governor called on voters to support the measure, saying that a double-digit win would send a message across the nation.

“A year from now, what this is all about is Democrats getting back on our toes, not on our heels, getting our mojo back,” Newsom said, urging party members nationwide to cast their ballots in their respective local elections.

“The future is not something to experience, it’s something to manifest. The future is not in front of us, it’s inside of us.”

A chorus of Democratic Party representatives echoed the praises of the proposition at the rally.

“California is going to help the nation because the nation depends on us,” Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles, said during the rally. “And quiet as it’s kept, the world is looking at what happens in California.”

She emphasized the consequences of the election, suggesting Democrats have a better chance of controlling the House of Representatives if the proposition passes.

“California has seats to contribute,” Bass said, noting a plan to use the advantage to elect Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) speaker of the House.

“He’s going to go over to Pennsylvania Avenue, and he’s going to take that gavel back.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris singled out President Donald Trump as the reason the proposition is needed, calling on supporters to harness the “power of the people.”

“We believe in the power of the vote, and we are prepared, when necessary, to fight fire with fire,” Harris said during the rally.

Opposition

Dozens of farm bureaus, rural advocacy organizations, and agricultural trade groups have opposed the measure, which would temporarily bypass California’s independent redistricting commission and reallocate nearly one-third of voters into new districts.

A coalition of opponents seeks to keep control of electoral maps in the hands of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, which they said has helped improve political awareness for projects and policies important for rural Californians in recent years.

“Proposition 50 will undo that progress and replace it with politician-drawn maps that will dilute our representation, making it harder for farmers to advocate for critical issues like water delivery,” Ryan Jacobsen, CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, said in the statement.

The proposed merger of Modoc and Marin counties, the former situated in the far northeast corner of the state and the latter hundreds of miles away bordering San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, is one change opponents highlight as particularly problematic.

“Proposition 50 redistributes political and economic power away from the farmers and ranchers who sustain California’s agricultural heritage and economy,” Colleen Cecil, executive director of the Butte County Farm Bureau, said in the statement.

“Farming is already hard enough in the current environment, but Proposition 50 will leave us without the focused representation we deserve.”

California will lose three rural districts based on landmass, and two districts based on population, according to the coalition’s calculations.

Opponents expressed concern about land use policies, infrastructure development, and access to resources if faced with a loss of rural representation in Congress.

“Under Proposition 50, taking away rural districts means urban interests will dominate even more, further sidelining the unique challenges faced by rural counties across the state,” Bob Nelson, Santa Barbara County supervisor and second vice chair for Rural County Representatives of California, said in the statement.

“Proposition 50 isn’t about fair representation; it’s a power grab that weakens our ability to address vital issues that keep California thriving.”

Signs and billboard advertisements, in support and opposition, are visible across the state. The Epoch Times observed many signs in rural areas opposing the proposition, while those in urban regions leaned more in favor.

Both sides are using celebrity power to further their cause.

“They are trying to fight for democracy by getting rid of the democratic principles of California,” former Golden State Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement posted on the No on Prop 50 campaign website. “It is insane to let that happen.”

Radio and television advertisements have been inundating listeners and viewers with targeted content in recent months. Former President Barack Obama has been a common fixture in ads playing in the days leading up to the election.