LONG BEACH : Proposal for All-Mail City Elections Studied
A City Council committee is studying a proposal by City Clerk Shelba Powell to conduct future city elections entirely by mail.
All-mail elections improve voter turnout, are less expensive and have fewer logistical problems than traditional elections, Powell said.
She said a vote-by-mail election in Modesto in November, 1993, resulted in a 44.4% turnout, compared with 29% in previous elections. It also saved the city 50% of the cost of a polling-place election.
Powell estimates that Long Beach could save $104,542 to $154,000 each election by switching to all-mail balloting.
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