Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
California Proposition 23, Increase Size of Senate and Change Apportionment Rules Initiative (1962)
| California Proposition 23 | |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Election date |
|
| Topic Redistricting policy and State legislative elections |
|
| Status |
|
| Type Initiated constitutional amendment |
Origin |
California Proposition 23 was on the ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment in California on November 6, 1962. It was defeated.
A “yes” vote supported increasing the number of state Senate districts from 40 to 50 and establishing new rules for apportionment and Senate terms, including that no county may have more than six Senate districts and no district may contain more than three counties. |
A “no” vote opposed increasing the number of state Senate districts from 40 to 50 and establishing new rules for apportionment and Senate terms, including that no county may have more than six Senate districts and no district may contain more than three counties. |
Election results
|
California Proposition 23 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 2,181,758 | 46.65% | ||
|
|
2,495,440 | 53.35% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition 23 was as follows:
| “ | Senate Reapportionment. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ | Establishes and apportions 50 (instead of existing 40) senatorial districts. Provides for election of all senators in 1964, one-half of senators to be elected every two years thereafter. Additional districts allocated to existing single county districts based on population. Requires 1963 Legislature fix boundaries in counties having more than one district. Requires Legislature following 1970 and each subsequent decennial federal census to reapportion senatorial districts based on population, geographic area and economic affinity; provided 110 county shall have more than 6 districts and no district contain more than 3 counties. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
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 1962, at least 420,462 valid signatures were required.
See also
External links
Footnotes
 |
State of California Sacramento (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
