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Mail-only special election idea dies
Political support lacking for the cost-saving move to fill Lantos' empty seat
Feb 23, 2008
By Shaun Bishop / Daily News Staff Writer
State legislation that would have allowed San Mateo County to conduct a mail-only special primary election on April 8, saving an estimated $350,000, could not get off the ground in Sacramento, officials said Friday.
Assemblyman Gene Mullin, D-South San Francisco, proposed a bill that would have authorized a mail-only election to select someone to fill the current term of Congressman Tom Lantos, who died Feb. 11.
Because officials were asking for a change to election procedures, the move required an emergency act of the Legislature and the governor's signature by the end of next week.
The idea had the support of Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and the Democratic caucus, but Republicans indicated they would not back the effort, Mullin said Friday.
An emergency measure would have needed a two-thirds vote of both the Senate and Assembly.
"It's a shame, too, because we were looking at a substantial savings," Mullin said.
Instead of the mail-only election, which would have cost around $650,000, the county now will hold a regular election with polling places for the 12th Congressional district at a cost of about $1 million, said county elections manager David Tom.
Mullin said it's not clear why Republicans did not support a mail-only election, though the two ranking members of the Assembly's Elections and Redistricting Committee said members of both parties have concerns about such elections.
Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Claremont, vice chairman of the committee, said a mail-only election could discourage elderly, disabled or minority voters who have trouble accessing or understanding a ballot.
"We don't want to hurt the elderly, we don't want to hurt the minority ... in our zeal to try to save some money," Adams said.
Voters would need to be informed of such a significant change well in advance because many people still choose to vote at the polls, added Assemblyman Curren Price, D-Inglewood, the committee chairman.
Adams said he had read rough language of Mullin's bill and would have considered the idea, though he wanted to ensure it wouldn't set a precedent for other counties to do mail-only elections.
County elections manager Tom said he believes a mail-only election would have greatly increased turnout, which historically has been around 30 percent or lower in special elections. About 45 percent of county voters are signed up to vote by mail permanently.
The April election is technically a primary for a special election to be held June 3, but if a candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote that person would take the seat and the June election would not happen.
Tom said the county hopes the state will reimburse it for the $1 million cost of the April election, though there is no guarantee.
Deputy County Manager Mary McMillan called the defeat in Sacramento "disappointing," saying the county hoped to save money in light of the estimated $16 billion state budget deficit.
"We knew it was an uphill battle," she said.
E-mail Shaun Bishop at sbishop@dailynewsgroup.com.
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