Time Running Out On Special Budget Election

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- County elections officials say the Legislature should act by the end of this week to hold a June 21 special election asking voters to extend temporary tax hikes.

Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic lawmakers say they would like to hold the election in June before families take summer vacations and before the temporary tax increases enacted two years ago expire.

By law, an election must be set a minimum of 88 days in advance to give counties enough time to prepare, although the Legislature has the authority to change that.

Gail Pellerin, president of the statewide county clerks association, said Tuesday that counties would ideally need to know by Friday to comfortably organize poll workers and order ballots and envelopes for a June 21 election.

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