Elections in California are clearly in overdrive. Last year, more than a dozen were held in Los Angeles County, many triggered by vacancies in congressional or legislative offices.
The recent election of former Assemblyman Paul Krekorian to the Los Angeles City Council is keeping the election throttle to the floor in 2010, with a special primary in April, just two months before the statewide primary in June.
At a time when all levels of government are struggling to keep the engine running, cutting costs and looking for ways to work smarter, this pedal-to-the-metal pace of special elections is one area in which a major tuneup ought to be considered. Concerns over voter fatigue and mounting costs, once simply academic discussions, are now an intense reality.
In California, election law requires any vacancy in a state legislative or congressional office to be filled by a special primary and, if needed, a special general election within 126 days from when the governor proclaims the election. Since 2005, 14 vacancy elections to fill unexpired legislative terms have been called, resulting in 22 primaries and runoffs.