Costly election

December 2, 2005

CASSIE MACDUFF   The Press-Enterprise

San Bernardino city officials are staggered by the projected cost of the Feb. 7 mayoral runoff: $230,000 to $290,000.
  

That's three times the price of the Nov. 8 primary, and there were three other city offices and a city initiative on that ballot. The runoff is one race with two candidates.

The original estimate from the county registrar was even higher, City Clerk Rachel Clark said: $358,000. "I still shake when I think of that," she said.

The estimate later was revised downward slightly, but Clark still must ask the council Monday to set aside $290,000.

Runoffs usually cost half that, Councilwoman Esther Estrada said. "I think everybody is pretty shocked at the cost."

Why is this runoff so much costlier? I asked county Registrar of Voters Kari Verjil, whose office conducts the elections.

Part of it is that touchscreen voting replaced punchcards.

Readying the machines for each election requires accuracy and logic tests, Verjil said.

Printing costs are also up for sample ballots and ballots (paper ballots still must be provided for voters who prefer them).

And voter registration has grown in San Bernardino from 62,600 in the last mayoral primary (in 1998) to 72,000 this year.

Another factor is that the Nov. 8 city election piggybacked on the statewide ballot, splitting the cost. The runoff is a standalone; the city pays all.

The city's charter was amended a few years ago to allow February runoffs to piggyback on March state primaries. Then the state switched back to June primaries.

The situation has some city officials envying the election system followed by many cities: No runoffs, winner takes all.

San Bernardino's charter requires a runoff if no candidate gets 50 percent of the votes plus one in the primary.

Runoffs in San Bernardino historically haven't altered the results of races often. In the past 14 years, the top voter-getter has won every runoff but two, Clark said:

In 1993, Estrada edged out Tom Minor in the mayoral primary with 18 percent to his 17.4 percent (there were 10 candidates). But she lost to him by 6 points in the runoff.

In a council race the same year, the incumbent came in second by four points in the primary but won by 11 points in the runoff.

City Attorney Jim Penman has a much bigger gap to overcome almost 18 points. Pat Morris got 43.4 percent to Penman's 25.7 (there were three other candidates).

If Penman were to out of the race, Clark said, the city would still have to hold the runoff and Penman's name would still appear on the ballot.

State election law requires it, she said. "I looked into that right away."

Estrada said the council may discuss revising the charter to allow runoffs to be canceled if a candidate s out or dies. Then the money could be spent on policing or other needs.

Clarifying something I wrote in Tuesday's column: Like a lot of people, I'm trying to make sense of San Bernardino's seeming rash of homicides, including the slaying of an 11-year-old girl in gang crossfire.

Police say there's no pattern to this year's killings. But Chief Garrett Zimmon said the girl's death is an exception. It's thought to be retaliation for an earlier gang slaying.