California Proposition 15, State Senate Reapportionment Formula Initiative (1960)

California Proposition 15
Election date November 8, 1960
Topic Redistricting measures
Status d Defeated
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens

California Proposition 15 was on the ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment in California on November 8, 1960. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported establishing a new formula for reapportioning state Senate districts, including: eliminating constitutional rules that limited one district per county, prohibited dividing counties or cities, and required small counties to be grouped into districts of no more than three counties and creating 40 districts based on specific county boundaries.

A "no" vote opposed establishing a new formula for reapportioning state Senate districts.

Election results

California Proposition 15
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		1,876,185	35.51%
No		3,408,090	64.49%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 15 was as follows:

“

Senate Reapportionment. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“

Establishes and apportions 40 senatorial districts. Provides for election of all Senators in 1962, one-half of Senators to be elected every two years thereafter, Requires Legislature in 1961 to fix boundaries of districts in counties having more than one district on basis of population, area, and economic affinity, which may be refixed following each decennial federal census. Permits Legislature following 1980 and each subsequent decennial federal census to reapportion senatorial districts on same basis; provided no county shall have more than 7 districts and 20 districts be appOl'ti01lPd to designated counties.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures in California

In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast at the preceding gubernatorial election. For initiated amendments filed in 1960, at least 420,462 valid signatures were required.

See also

1960 Measures

• 1960 Measures
• State legislative elections on the ballot
• Redistricting policy on the ballot
• 1960 legislative sessions

California

• California ballot measures
• California ballot measure laws

News and analysis

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

External links

• California Voter Guide (Novembe 1960)