County election offices in California are preparing for a potential special election in November following Gov. Gavin Newsom's announcement that he is moving forward with a plan to counter Republicans' attempt to redraw a series of Texas congressional districts.

Under California law, the changes would require a special election, which, if called, would be held on November 4. Although Nov. 4 is a traditional election date in even-numbered years, California does not have a regularly scheduled statewide election in 2025. That means any statewide vote on that day would be considered a special election.

Following his announcement, Newsom said that any costs associated with a special election would be covered by the state.

However, there are still county costs that come with a special election. CBS Sacramento contacted election offices in multiple counties in the Greater Sacramento region to see if and how election officials are preparing if one is called.

In San Joaquin County, a standalone special election can cost between $3 million and $4 million, according to Olivia Hale, the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters. Factors that contribute to the cost of the special election include ballot printing and mailing, staffing, outreach, and polling place and vote center operations.

If the State of California calls a special election, it is generally responsible for reimbursing counties for the necessary costs of conducting that election, Hale said.

However, reimbursement is not guaranteed. In recent years, Hale said, some special elections have not been fully funded due to budget constraints or the absence of legislative appropriation.

Hale noted that by law, special elections typically allow for 88 to 125 days between the official call and Election Day. The shorter the timeline, the more immediately staff and coordination with the California Secretary of State would need to occur. That includes ballot printers, mailing vendors, and polling place partners. 

If a special election is called, Hale would receive the Official Proclamation from the Governor or legislative authority. She provided specifics on next steps if a special election is called: 

• Establish the legal calendar for voter registration, ballot mailing, and canvass dates based on the special order
• Secure funding & vendor contracts for printing, mailing, staffing, and facilities
• Prepare ballots and voter information guides, including translations as required by law
• Recruit and train election workers for polling places, ballot processing, and operations
• Arrange logistics and facility setup for polling places, election night, and ballot drop boxes
• Conduct public outreach and voter education on dates, voting options, and registration deadlines
• Carry out the election and Official Canvass to certify results in compliance with state law

In Sacramento County, election staff are already working on securing vote center and ballot drop box locations this week. Some staff members said they are also talking to vendors about voter information guides, ballot paper, and envelopes in the event a special election is called.

A spokesperson for Sacramento County's elections office estimated that a special election in November would cost about $6.8 million, but noted that the number is subject to change and is just an early estimate.

In Placer County, a spokesperson estimated the cost for a special election could be $2 million.

2021 recall election costs 

Every special election is different. However, multiple election offices cited the 2021 recall election against Gov. Newsom as a preview of what costs are possible.

In a detailed letter, including data, Secretary of State Shirley Weber provided a breakdown of county costs for the 2021 special election, sent to lawmakers in 2022.

The data includes allocated costs, actual costs, and any additional funding needed, broken down county by county. There is also a line-item breakdown of costs county-by-county.

Recall election costs by county: 

Amador $120,043.62
Butte $580,905.39  
Calaveras $222,843.52   
El Dorado $724,917.63   
Nevada $433,379.60   
Placer $1,678,076.79  
Sacramento  $3,288,675.22  
San Joaquin $3,169,175.76
Solano $2,377,480.59   
Stanislaus $1,277,206.18
Sutter $225,716.61   
Tuolumne $147,501.89
Yolo $1,055,075.89
Yuba  $261,187.56  

For the full list of county costs statewide for the 2021 special election.