California Gerrymandering Election Would Cost More Than $200 Million

A California gerrymanding election would cost California over $200 million a spokesperson for the Secretary of State admitted.

It would be more than the one to recall Gavin Newsom in 2021.

Sacramento Bee reported:

A spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office estimates the bill for the statewide election would still be north of $200 million, more than it cost to hold the Newsom recall election in 2021, when there were no other elections taking place. Most of the costs associated with an election are related to printing ballots and envelopes.

“Inflation has gone pretty wild in the last four or five years,” said spokesperson Jim Patrick. In Plumas County for instance, Registrar of Voters Marcy DeMartile estimates a special election in November could cost her county about $65,000 — only $3,000 less than the county spent in 2021 — even with a school board election already planned for some voters, and ballots consolidated.

“Costs are higher,” DeMartile said. “Paper is higher, printing is higher, postage is higher.”

Elections officials would also incur costs and time pressures involved with identifying and booking vote centers and soliciting enough volunteer workers to man in-person polls.

JD Vance pointed out that California already has lopsided districts.

Only 17% of the Republican delegation from California is Republican despite the fact that Republicans get 40% of the vote in the state.

The gerrymander in California is outrageous. Of their 52 congressional districts, 9 of them are Republican. That means 17 percent of their delegation is Republican when Republicans regularly win 40 percent of the vote in that state.

How can this possibly be allowed?

— JD Vance (@JDVance) July 30, 2025