Thursday, August 14, 2003

The total cost of the election for Santa Barbara County is estimated at $800,000, the amount the elections division is requesting from the County General Fund Contingency. The county Board of Supervisors will vote on the appropriation today.

The last major special election held in Santa Barbara County was in 1998 for the 22nd congressional district after the death of Rep. Walter Capps, D-Santa Barbara. That election cost approximately $500,000 - but was not county-wide and did not have the added financial burden of providing bilingual ballots and poll workers, which will be required in the recall.