County Board of Sups Save Money by Choosing Mail in Ballots for Upcoming District 1 Race

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors this morning agreed to the less expensive option for a special election to fill the vacancy that will be created when First District Supervisor Mark Church leaves his post next month.

Using only mail-in ballots for the election, which will be held on May 3, will cost the county $1.1 million, as opposed to the other $1.6 million option the Board considered that would have allowed polling places as well as mail-in ballots.

"We have an opportunity to save $500,000 with an all-mail election, I think we ought to take advance of that," Church said at the meeting this morning.

The May 3 date was selected in order to give candidates time to campaign. An earlier date of March 8 was also proposed, but the supervisors unanimously said that not only is campaign time important but getting the word out to San Mateo County residents will also take time.

"We want to make sure that everyone in the county knows what this is," District 2 Supervisor Carole Groom said.

Church was elected Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder on Nov. 2, a little more than two years into his third term as county supervisor.

The first supervisorial district encompasses South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, San Francisco International Airport, Burlingame, and Hillsborough, though all San Mateo County residents are able to vote for supervisors in each of the county's five districts.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.