The county’s chief elections officer says she will ask the Board of Supervisors to support a bill that would move the statewide 2012 presidential primary from February to June.

The standalone February presidential primary in 2008 cost the county $562,000, Clerk-Recorder Julie Rodewald said.

California had moved the election from June to February in an attempt to ensure that its voters had more of a say in the primaries that engulf the nation during the early months of a presidential election year.

However, the costs were substantial, and a Northern California legislator, Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) Fong, has introduced a bill – AB 80 - that would move the primary to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June of presidential election years.

The change would consolidate the presidential primary election with the statewide primary election.

Moving the date would “save the state and local governments tens of millions of dollars at a time when every penny counts,” Fong said.

Governments at all levels are facing financial shortfalls, and looking for ways to save. The state is looking at a $25 billion gap and the county $9 million.

Without the move, the state would have to hold three statewide elections in 2012, Fong said.

Rodewald said she believes the statewide association of county clerks and elections officials also will support the move. The association’s legislative committee is meeting this Thursday to discuss the proposal.

“I have not prepared a letter yet, but I will be asking the Board to support the legislation also,” Rodewald wrote The Tribune in an e-mail.