When it’s all added up, the special election to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Doug LaMalfa, who has moved on to Congress, could cost north state counties more than $1.7 million. … County boards over the next few days will be asked to spend additional money to hold the special election. The amounts range from $35,000 in Colusa County to $362,000 in Butte County. The extra expense in Butte County, the most populous county in the district, takes into account, among things, the cost to hire poll workers and set up polling sites. It does not factor the costs for the regular elections staff.
Clerks have been trying to come up with the most efficient way to elect LaMalfa’s replacement. They’re using fewer electronic voting machines and foregoing poll worker training, given the recent election. The ballot itself also is smaller.
“The ballot is very tiny thing, compared to what Shasta County voters are used to seeing. It is not folded and has just the two marking positions, one for each candidate,” said Cathy Darling Allen, clerk and registrar of voters.
Darling Allen has estimated the election’s cost in the county at $400,000, but the actual amount won’t be known until invoice for ballots start to come in.
Full Article: Special election could cost $1.7 million; officials look for ways to improve efficiency » Redding Record Searchlight.