With Newsom's Recall Looming CA Lawmakers Vote To Distribute Mail-In Ballots In 2021
SACRAMENTO (AP) — As California Gov. Gavin Newsom prepares for a potential recall election this year, the state Legislature passed a bill on Tuesday that would require all active registered voters get a ballot in the mail ahead of the election even if they didn't ask for one.
Lawmakers' aim is to slow the spread of the coronavirus by encouraging people to vote by mail rather than show up in person. The Legislature did the same thing last year, back when counties had millions of dollars in federal money to help put on a presidential election during a pandemic.
So far, California has two scheduled elections for 2021, both to fill vacancies in the state Legislature. But an effort to force a recall election of Newsom has gained momentum, fueled by anger over his handling of the coronavirus and an embarrassing incident last year when the governor attended a birthday party at a fancy restaurant while encouraging others to stay home.
Now, with a recall election increasingly likely, the bill could hit local governments with millions of dollars in unexpected costs during what is supposed to be an off year for statewide elections.
"It definitely would be a hardship for all the counties, because it is unanticipated," said Sutter County Registrar of Voters Donna Johnston, who is also president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials. "We're hoping that the state will give us some relief."
The California Secretary of State's Office estimates the state could be forced to reimburse local governments for about $7.6 million if the recall qualifies for the ballot.
"That's nothing," said Joe Holland, the Santa Barbara County registrar of voters who said the first election he oversaw was the 2003 recall election of former Gov. Gray Davis. "The cost of putting on a statewide recall pretty much falls to the counties."
Across the state, counties are preparing their budgets for the next fiscal year that begins July 1, and many are just now beginning to discuss what it would cost to put on a statewide recall election if it qualifies.
Supporters must have about 1.5 million signatures by March 17 to qualify for the ballot. Organizers say they already have collected more than that, but it's unclear how many of those signatures will be valid. Republicans, meanwhile, are pouring cash into the effort as the signature-gathering deadline approaches.
Lawmakers did not mention the recall election during Tuesday's debate, with Assemblyman Marc Berman saying the bill "recognizes that the pandemic has not gone away."
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