All-mail election for Stein's seat would save cash
By Laura Brown, laurab@theunion.com
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12:01 a.m. PT Mar 28, 2008
A separate all-mail election would cost Nevada City half as much money to fill Sheila Stein's vacated seat than a vote held during the general election, county clerk Gregory Diaz said Thursday.
On Wednesday night, city officials opted to consolidate the vote with the general election in November without reviewing the option of a separate mail-in vote.
"That was not discussed," said Councilman Steve Cottrell.
Yet Diaz had recommended the city explore the option when he spoke with new City Manager Gene Albaugh.
"If they're going to have a mail ballot, it's going to be cheaper, no ifs, ands or buts," Diaz said.
Nevada City residents will vote in June to fill three council seats. Stein announced she was leaving her council seat mid-term after the cutoff deadline to file for the June ballot, forcing voters to choose a fourth council member later this year.
Nevada City estimates it will cost as much as $14,000, or $7 per voter, to find a replacement for Stein, Mayor Sally Harris said.
Yet it is unlikely the city will pay that much because half of registered voters are absentee, Councilman David McKay said.
Albaugh presented information that showed an election held during the presidential vote would be more cost effective than a separate special election, Harris said.
After conferring with county elections office staff, Albaugh shared with the council the number of voters in the district: 1,930 and the cost of a special election.
A traditional election in Nevada City is more costly than a mail-only election, because it requires setting up polling places and paying poll workers, Diaz said.
Nevada City is small enough that costs could be kept low if a separate mail-only election were held, Diaz said.
Costs would include the printing of ballots, envelopes, labor for stuffing envelopes and counting ballots and the postage to mail them, Diaz said.
Diaz compared Nevada City with a special district in the Tahoe area that spent $22,000 on 8,000 voters last fall during an all-mail election. Using that as a comparison, Nevada City would pay about $5,000 for a mail-only vote.
Diaz stopped short from calculating the exact cost of running a special mail-only election for Nevada City.
The county doesn't have the time to spend doing the "homework for special elections," during an already busy election year, Diaz said.
The reasons for the city's choice to hold a November election are many.
A separate election would conflict with June and November elections and confuse voters, McKay said.
"It's to be fair to voters. If you confuse 'em, you lose 'em. It just came down to it makes sense to have one election," McKay said.
A November election would also be easier logistically and result in higher participation from voters, McKay and Harris said.
Elections by mail are known to save districts money and some states have shifted entirely to this type of voting. Diaz expects California to follow suit in coming years, adopting a more hybrid approach with fewer polling places to maintain the needs of handicapped voters.
During the February election, the county spent $7.54 per vote-by-mail voters compared to $16.72 per polling place voters, Diaz found.
To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
