Registrar needs Cali to keep promise and pay for Feb. 5

Organizing a primary election is difficult. Organizing two primaries within five months of each other is a recipe for chaos. Californians had an early vote for the presidential primaries, but the San Diego County Registrar of Voters is still waiting for the state to pick up the tab.
The registrar spent 44 percent more money this current fiscal year by holding two primary elections, than it will spend next fiscal year by holding only one major statewide election. Because of that, the registrar's proposed 2008-09 budget could be up to $16 million less than the current fiscal year's budget.
This year, the California State Legislature voted to hold a bifurcated primary, which means that the original primary is split into two primaries - the Feb. 5 and June 3 elections. This special type of primary isn't held often.
On the surface, having two elections appears to be a beneficial idea. But behind the scenes, the registrar has been running into a number of problems.
“[The bifurcated primary] is difficult because of the overlapping timeframes and it’s very expensive,” said the registrar’s department head, Deborah Seiler. “We’re working overtime because people are still doing cleanup from February and we’re also planning for June. It means a lot of overtime and no breaks for the staff. People working nights and weekends with no days off.”
Seiler said she believes the voters did like that the primary date was changed from January to February. But she expects there to be a decrease in voter turnout in the June primary election, because so many people all ready voted in the big presidential primary.
“The legislature decided to split the primaries for the first time in decades,” Seiler said. “But there was no reason to.”
Actually, the California legislature did have a reason.
By installing this bifurcated primary, some termed-out legislatures will be able to run again in the June election for State Senate and State Assembly, but wouldn’t have been able to if the election were held in February.
Even though this decision to implement a bifurcated primary arduously affected the registrar and other registrars throughout the state, the counties don’t really have a say whether it’ll occur again.
“I think the likelihood [that a bifurcated primary happening again] is slim,” Seiler said.
The state legislature, in return from challenging the registrar offices with two primaries, said it would pay for the Feb. 5 election, which cost the registrar $15.2 million. But it hasn’t paid the San Diego County Registrar yet.
“The February primary needs to be paid for by the state,” Seiler said.
She said the State Association of Counties is currently pushing for the registrar’s reimbursement.
Even though the November election is expected to be hundreds of thousands of dollars more expensive than the February and June primary elections, the registrar is expecting to make much ore revenue from the November election.
“We’ll get ore money because more local jurisdictions are participating in the election and sharing the costs,” Seiler said.
The registrar spent $30.5 million in their 2006-07 fiscal year and will probably spend around $36.5 million this fiscal year, while it’s proposing it will spend a low total of $20.4 million in the 2008-09 fiscal year.
The registrar spends most of its money on services and supplies for the elections, which include printing costs, length of ballots and number of ballots.
February’s primary had a very simple ballot compared to the November election ballot, Seiler said. There are up to 300 candidates on the ballot that the registrar is working with, she said.
The registrar has $11.4 million for services and supplies in its proposed budget for the November election, while it spent only $7.8 million on services and supplies for the February primary.
If the November election will cost more than expected, the registrar can shift money between categories in its budget, Seiler said.
“We participate a spike in voters [in the November election],” she said. “But the question is, will the voters both to go to the polls in June?”