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Voting history · California

California

A dated list of changes to how Americans vote: district maps, polling places and drop boxes, voting laws and rules, and courts and election officials. Each entry says who did what and when, shows what became of it, and links to the page it rests on. Attempts that failed are listed as failed. Entries that rest on a news report name the outlet.

This is the state view: events recorded for California, then national events that apply here. See the national timeline.

Congressional districts in California

Choose a district to see the events tagged to it. A number after the district is how many events name it.

Kind of event
Decade

In California

2025

  1. Nov 4, 2025 State Maps and lines Enacted

    California voters approve Proposition 50, replacing the congressional map

    On November 4, 2025, California voters approved Proposition 50, which put in place a legislature-enacted congressional map (Assembly Bill 604) through 2030, paired with a constitutional amendment (ACA 8) and a bill calling the special election (SB 280). The Secretary of State certified the election results on December 12, 2025.

    Related: Justice Department joins lawsuit against the Proposition 50 map

    Source last checked Oct 23, 2026

2021

  1. Dec 26, 2021 State Maps and lines Enacted

    Citizens Redistricting Commission adopts and certifies California's new congressional and legislative maps

    On December 26, 2021, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission voted under Article XXI, Section 2 of the state constitution to adopt as final the statewide Assembly, Senate, Congressional and Board of Equalization maps, and certified them in resolutions dated that day. The Commission had voted on December 20, 2021 to approve the maps for posting and public comment. Its chair and vice chair transmitted the certified maps and report to Secretary of State Shirley Weber in a letter dated December 27, 2021, which the Elections Division stamped as received that day.

    Related: California voters approve Proposition 50, replacing the congressional map

    Source last checked Oct 21, 2026

2000

  1. Apr 6, 2000 County Maps and lines Settled

    Justice Department sues Santa Paula over at-large council elections; settlement entered in 2001

    On April 6, 2000, the Justice Department filed a complaint against the City of Santa Paula, California (C.D. Cal.), alleging that its at-large method of electing the city council diluted Hispanic voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. On October 24, 2001, the court entered a settlement agreement under which the city would place three district election options on the November 5, 2002, ballot; the complaint was then dismissed without prejudice.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

1993

  1. Apr 5, 1993 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to Hanford annexations

    Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department objected to annexations to the City of Hanford in Kings County that were identified in an attachment to its letter. The letter notes this was the first time the city had sought preclearance for any annexation.

    Related: Voting Rights Act of 1965 signed into law

    Source last checked Oct 23, 2026

  2. Feb 26, 1993 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to Monterey County's supervisor redistricting plan

    Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department objected to Ordinance No. 3653, the redistricting plan for the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, and did not object to a revised election calendar for the June 8, 1993 special election.

    Related: Voting Rights Act of 1965 signed into law

    Source last checked Oct 23, 2026

1992

  1. Apr 3, 1992 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to Merced County's supervisor redistricting plan

    Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department objected to the redistricting plan for the Merced County board of supervisors.

    Related: Voting Rights Act of 1965 signed into law

    Source last checked Oct 23, 2026

Nationwide

2026

  1. Sep 10, 2026 National Maps and lines Proposed

    Census Bureau proposes residence criteria for the 2030 census that would exclude some noncitizens from the apportionment count

    On September 10, 2026 the Census Bureau, an agency of the Department of Commerce, published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (91 FR 57524, Docket No. 260903-0005, RIN 0607-AA75) that would add two new parts to the Code of Federal Regulations: residence criteria for the decennial census, and standards and restrictions for demographic questions on the census questionnaire. On residence, the notice states that "the Census Bureau proposes to include lawful permanent residents within the apportionment base, while excluding from the apportionment base illegal aliens and aliens whose legal status is less durable and indefinite in length than lawful permanent resident status," and says it is considering using administrative records to determine legal status. The comment period, first set to end October 13, 2026, was extended to November 2, 2026 by a notice published October 5, 2026. Al Jazeera and CNBC reported on the proposal, and CNBC reported that opponents expect litigation.

    Source last checked Oct 22, 2026

2021

  1. Aug 12, 2021 National Maps and lines Settled

    Census Bureau releases 2020 redistricting data for states

    On August 12, 2021, the Census Bureau released the 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, which it described as delivering data for states to begin redistricting. On September 16, 2021, it released the same data in an easier-to-use format on data.census.gov and delivered a toolkit to states.

    Source last checked Oct 22, 2026

  2. Apr 26, 2021 National Maps and lines Settled

    Census Bureau announces 2020 Census apportionment results

    On April 26, 2021, the Census Bureau announced that the 2020 Census resident population of the United States on April 1, 2020 was 331,449,281, and that Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo delivered the population counts used for apportionment of the U.S. House to the President.

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

1967

  1. Dec 14, 1967 National Maps and lines Enacted

    Congress requires single-member congressional districts (Public Law 90-196)

    Public Law 90-196, approved December 14, 1967, provides that in each state entitled to more than one Representative "there shall be established by law a number of districts equal to the number of Representatives to which such State is so entitled," with "no district to elect more than one Representative."

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

How this timeline is built

Every entry rests on at least one source that was opened and read, and that source states the date and the fact. Courts, legislatures, election offices, the Justice Department, the Census Bureau, the Federal Register and Congress.gov come first. A news report is used only when no official page states the fact, and it is labeled with the outlet's name. Encyclopedias are not used as sources. History starts in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act. County names come from the Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer. Congressional district numbers are those in use for the 2026 election; an event is tagged to a district only when its source names that congressional district.

When a later event changes an earlier one, such as a law later struck down, both entries are listed and point to each other. This page does not predict outcomes or say which party a change helps. U.S. House maps for 2026 · Back to the 2026 voting center.