SLO County woman got her ballot recount. Now she needs to pay the bill | Opinion

Bankrolling a ballot recount following a close — or not-so-close — election doesn’t come cheap, at least not in California.

Just ask Darcia Stebbens, a San Luis Obispo County woman who requested two recounts in 2022 county supervisor races — one following the June primary and a second following the general election in November.

The bill totaled $114,606: $61,260 for a recount in the District 4 election, in which Supervisor Jimmy Paulding defeated incumbent Lynn Compton, and $53,346 for the November run-off in District 2 between Bruce Jones and Bruce Gibson, who wound up winning by just 13 votes.

Stebbens paid the first bill in full — with financial help from other members of the Republican Party — but still owes $4,448 for the second recount.

Now the county is taking her to court.

Stebbens told Tribune reporter Stephanie Zappelli that she wants to know how the county came up with its figure.

“I have made a reasonable request, and I have not received a breakdown as to what costs are included,” she said.

This isn’t the first time questions have been raised about the cost of the partial recount conducted in the Gibson-Jones race.

In a December email to its members, the SLO County Republican Party said the county had “bumped” the estimated cost of the recount to $3.43 per ballot — a 27% increase over the earlier recount.

SLO County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano told The Tribune that she provided Stebbens with a list of staff hours spent on the recount, as well as a list of materials used and their costs.

The county says it is not required to provide a more detailed cost breakdown and has filed a case in small claims court.

Stebbens should know the drill, especially after observing the first recount. Now she should pay up.

If she wanted a more detailed cost accounting, she should have requested that at the outset before deciding whether to go ahead with the second recount.

At this point, quibbling over $4,448 is a bad look for her and for the Republican Party, which actively fundraised for the recount efforts.

“We need your help to raise at least $25,000 to $50,000 for this fight ...” it emailed members in early December.

Granted, it’s a high price to pay, but the law is clear.

California does not provide for any automatic recounts, no matter how close the results.

Instead, those requesting a recount must foot the bill, though their money is refunded if the winner of the race changes as a result of the recount.

There is one exception to that rule in California. In Santa Clara County, the Board of Supervisors passed a policy mandating automatic recounts when the margin of victory is less than 0.25%.

Outside California, policies vary.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 22 states and the District of Columbia mandate automatic recounts when the results are within certain narrow parameters.

That way, private citizens don’t have to pick up the tab and voters have additional assurance that the results are valid.

There are good arguments to be made in favor of automatic recounts in close elections, but would California taxpayers be willing to pay the cost?

That’s doubtful.

For the foreseeable future, it’s the responsibility of candidates and their supporters to decide whether it’s worth picking up the tab for a recount — and to pay the bill when it comes due.