Counties will be paid upfront for special redistricting election, California official says

California will advance funding to cover county costs and administer a November special election to decide whether to implement new partisan congressional maps for 2026, 2028, and 2030. The Legislature is fast-tracking bills to suspend maps from the independent redistricting commission and allow new partisan maps, with a full vote expected Thursday. The initiative, led by Governor Gavin Newsom and California Democrats, aims to counter partisan redistricting in Republican-controlled states such as Texas. Local election officials warned they had not budgeted for a statewide special election. The Department of Finance will coordinate with the secretary of state and counties to advance reimbursements so counties do not lose money; L.A. County estimates about $63.3 million in costs.

California will foot the cost of redistricting upfront, an official with the state's Department of Finance told lawmakers on Wednesday. Legislators are continuing to fast-track a package of bills this week to convene a special election in November where voters will decide whether to implement new, partisan congressional maps for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections. The full legislature is expected to vote Thursday on the package, Democratic leadership has said.

Led by Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats, the effort is meant to neutralize similar partisan redistricting moves in Republican-controlled states, including Texas. Local elections officials had expressed concerns about the cost of holding a last-minute, statewide special election. The governor's request had called for the state to reimburse counties for the cost of administering a special election, and elections officials advocated for that money to be advanced. No county budgeted for a special statewide election.

Christian Beltran, with the state Department of Finance, told members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee that his department will work with the secretary of state's office and county election offices to ensure that funding for this election will be made in advance to the election. That way, he said, counties won't lose money. L.A. County's registrar estimates, as of Wednesday, the cost for the county to administer the special election is about $63.3 million.

Read at www.ocregister.com