LOS BANOS, CA (October 14, 2025) — Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria’s Merced Fair Elections Act (AB 1441) into law, establishing an independent citizens redistricting commission for Merced County. The new law directs the county to create a commission made up of local voters to oversee the drawing of supervisorial district boundaries.
According to the bill’s author, the purpose of the law is to ensure that district lines are drawn fairly and that communities of interest are properly represented. The commission will replace the current process in which elected officials oversee redistricting.
“This commission will be made up of voters across the political spectrum,” Soria said in a recent press release. “Merced County will now have an independent citizens redistricting commission that is chosen by their own community members—NOT chosen by elected politicians who are already in power. This bill will allow the residents of Merced to ensure their communities and interests are reflected in the districts used for their elections.”
In Merced County, this change will determine how supervisorial districts are shaped, including those that cover the City of Los Banos and surrounding unincorporated areas. The City of Los Banos is part of Merced County’s existing supervisorial structure, meaning its boundaries and population data will be included in the redistricting process managed by the new independent commission.
The Merced Fair Elections Act follows similar redistricting reforms adopted in other California counties such as Fresno, Riverside, and San Luis Obispo. Further details on how the commission will be selected and when the process will begin are expected to be announced by Merced County.
