March 28, 2007

"County registrar scrambles to hold early presidential primary"

"As the state gears up for an early presidential primary, County Clerk Gail Pellerin said Monday she is worried the plan will wear out voters and poll workers and cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Pellerin said she already has encountered poll workers who don't want to work three elections in 52 weeks and is concerned the state won't reimburse the county the expected $450,000 cost of the election.

It's not that her office can't do it, she said. But "we don't plan to take any vacation"

California voters will choose their White House nominees on Feb. 3 next year, four months earlier than originally scheduled.

The decision by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Legislature to move up the primary was designed to give more clout to the nation's most populous state in picking the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees. The race was previously set for June 5. But by that time, supporters of the change say, many other states would have held their primary elections, and California's vote would hold little sway.

Now, only the Iowa and Nevada caucuses and the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries are held earlier, though other states are considering moving their primaries, too.

But while the earlier voting may be a boon to state residents and politicians, county registrars like Pellerin — who say they need about a year to plan an election — are trying to figure out how to make it all work."

The story is here.

Posted by Randy Riddle at March 28, 2007 09:31 AM