CA elections officials head to battle stations, anticipating redistricting vote
The election would be about whether or not to adopt new congressional maps that benefit Democrats. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he would only ask the Legislature to call the election if Texas moves ahead with its plan. That plan is currently in limbo, as Texas Democratic lawmakers remain out of state to deny Republicans quorum in their legislature.
Still, with so much needing to happen if the election is authorized, officials are organizing now, should the dominoes begin to fall. The Secretary of State's office, which oversees the election process, has given the Legislature a deadline of August 22 to decide whether or not it's happening.
'Any less than two and a half months, you're not gonna have time to hire people and get them trained and get everything running properly in order to do the election,' said Secretary of State spokesperson Jim Patrick.
The August 22 deadline means lawmakers, who return from summer recess on August 18, will have just a few days to publicly discuss possible maps and approve a special election.
Some election statutes will have to be suspended
If that election is called, officials will launch into action, with only 80 days until November 4th. According to Patrick, that means the state will have blown past two existing requirements: one which mandates the governor give the public 148 days notice before a statewide election and another that commands the Legislature to approve placing something on the ballot not less than 131 days before an election. He said they'll likely be unable to meet a requirement to show counties a voter guide 48 days before an election. Patrick said these statutes will need to be suspended by the Legislature.
To prepare officials, the Secretary of State's office held a planning meeting Monday with over 250 people calling in.
'These folks are now whipping together contracts. They're trying to get workers,' Patrick said. He said one county is scrambling for envelopes for vote-by-mail ballots.
'It's exciting on the one hand,' Patrick said, although, 'cramming an entire year's worth of work into two and a half months is a daunting prospect.'
Placer County Registrar of Voters Ryan Ronco was on the call. He said 'a lot of items are up in the air,' but officials were told it was 'highly likely' the election would take place.
On Friday, his team reached out to its usual voting centers, drop-box locations, and volunteers. Ronco said the county will have to identify 500 to 600 people to be volunteers for the 11 days voting centers will be open.
'It's possible,' he said. 'Elections officials are used to pulling miracles out of thin air.'
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The Volunteer State Republican is running to replace outgoing Gov. Bill Lee (R), who is term-limited. ▪ Rolling Stone: A 'glitch' was to blame for parts of the Constitution being removed from a Library of Congress-run website. TOTAL CONTROL: Israel's security Cabinet today is expected to approve Benjamin Netanyahu 's plans to seize areas of Gaza it doesn't already control as the prime minister faces increasing pressure over the war both at home and abroad. Trump does not oppose Netanyahu's plan to occupy the entirety of Gaza, Axios reports, with sources saying Trump is leaving the Israeli government to make its own decisions. The Israeli military says it already controls 75 percent of Gaza after nearly two years of war. Netanyahu is under intense international pressure to reach a ceasefire in the enclave, which has been reduced to rubble. Most of the population of about 2 million has been displaced, and aid groups say residents are on the verge of famine. ▪ The New York Times: The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will soon operate 16 distribution sites instead of four, according to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. ▪ The Washington Post: Leaked drafts of the State Department's annual human rights reports indicate that the White House intends to dramatically scale back U.S. government criticism foreign nations with records of abuse, including Israel, El Salvador and Russia. Opinion The economy is cracking. This trend is most alarming, by Heather Long, columnist, The Washington Post. Sorry, Billionaires — There's No Escape, by playwright David Mamet in The Wall Street Journal. The Closer And finally … It's Thursday, which means it's time for this week's Morning Report Quiz! Inspired by the Texas redistricting fight, we're eager for some smart guesses about the history of congressional mapmaking. Be sure to email your responses to kkarisch@ and ecrisp@ — please add 'Quiz' to your subject line. Winners who submit correct answers will enjoy some richly deserved newsletter fame on Friday. Who is the namesake of gerrymandering? 1. President Gerald Ford 2. Sen. Peter G. Gerry (D-R.I.) 3. Vice President Elbridge Gerry 4. Comedian Jerry Lewis The Cook Political Report lists how many of the 435 House districts as 'toss ups' — where either party could win — in the 2026 cycle? 1. 18 2. 56 3. 5 4. 35 Which newspaper first coined the term 'Gerry-mandering'? 1. The New York Times 2. The Boston Gazette 3. The Daily Telegram 4. The Wichita Daily Eagle How frequently does redistricting typically take place? 1. Every 15 years 2. Every two years 3. Every year 4. Every 10 years
