California’s Special Election: Tracking CSAC’s Election Funding Efforts

Counties will receive full funding for California’s November special election from the state — in advance — after heavy lobbying from CSAC and the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials. 

In response to the Texas Legislature’s current efforts to redraw their districts, Governor Newsom and Legislative Leadership introduced the “Election Rigging Response Act.” This legislative package calls a special statewide election on November 4, 2025, for the voters to decide whether to amend the California Constitution to allow for the temporary adoption of new congressional district boundaries instead of the current maps drawn by California’s independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. 

Specifically, this includes:

• Assembly Constitution Amendment 8 (Rivas and McGuire)–amends the constitution to allow for the temporary use of new congressional district maps (outlined in AB 604) for elections held through 2030.  

• AB 604 (Aguiar-Curry)–establishes the new congressional district maps that would be implemented if voters approve ACA 8. These maps would remain in effect until the Citizens Redistricting Commission certifies a new set of maps. 

• SB 280 (Cervantes)–calls a special statewide election for November 4, 2025, requires the Secretary of State to submit ACA 8 of 2025 to the voters for their consideration, establishes the procedures for the special election, and provides the funding mechanisms to cover county costs to administer the election.  

This legislative package was released to the public on Monday, August 18, and by Thursday, August 21, it was approved by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor.

How did counties get the funding?   

From the outset, state officials insisted that the price of this special election was “a cost worth paying for democracy.” But behind that rhetoric was a very real burden that counties would be forced to carry.  

Confusion grew as public statements on funding shifted—from claims of minimal impact to vague promises of reimbursement. Counties were left with no clear guarantee of how, or when, they would be paid. 

CSAC immediately went to work. We pushed back against the notion that counties could absorb the costs or that they could simply add the redistricting question to already scheduled elections. The facts were clear: only 19 counties had elections scheduled—none of them countywide—and the bulk of the new costs would fall squarely on counties. Without upfront funding, counties would have to siphon dollars from other essential services. 

When Governor Newsom announced on August 14 that the state would fund the election, the Administration initially only offered reimbursements. But that alone was insufficient, especially with counties already navigating budget deficits. CSAC made it clear: advance funding was essential to protect county budgets and ensure counties could deliver a secure, accessible election. Through persistent advocacy—including direct engagement and a formal written request—CSAC secured a commitment to provide counties with the necessary funds in advance. That commitment is now embedded in SB 280, reflecting the Administration’s and Legislature’s agreement to support counties upfront. 

Thanks to CSAC’s efforts, counties will not be forced to front the costs of the special election—ensuring that local governments can administer it without jeopardizing core services. 

What comes next?  

SB 280 appropriates funding from the state’s General Fund for the actual and reasonably necessary costs, as determined by the Director of Finance, for the counties to conduct the November 4, 2025, statewide special election. The Department of Finance is currently working with the Secretary of State and counties to determine the estimated costs to administer the election. Once the estimated costs are determined, Finance will provide a schedule to the State Controller’s Office to allocate these funds to counties.  The timeline of when the funds will be allocated is still pending, as the estimated costs are still under review by the state.  We will continue to update counties as we hear more about the anticipated timeline.  

The Secretary of State (SOS) has been releasing guidance on administering the election. Sign up for updates from SOS Directly using this link.   

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ejungwirth@counties.org.