INDIANAPOLIS — If a special session is called, that could have a major impact on taxpayer dollars.
WRTV spoke to lawmakers and experts about what possible redistricting looks like and how it could cost Hoosiers a lot, both financially and with voter turnout for future elections.
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"One thing that I have been focusing on and my fellow clerks across the state is what that means administratively and how we conduct our elections," Kate Sweeney Bell, the Marion County Clerk, said.
Bell said redistricting would bring on a lot of challenges, from staffing to extended resources, which would impact the county clerk's overall budget.
"We didn't budget for this. We don't have the staff to make sure that everything is right," said Bell. "If we're being told your budget for next year is smaller because there are less dollars, then there are less dollars to hire people, it's a snowball effect. Redistricting right now with an election seven months away makes that challenge all the harder for all 92 counties."
"It's obvious that they're reluctant. I mean, Amber, it wouldn't take you 90 days to do what the President of the United States is asking you to do if it made any sense," State Rep. Ed Delaney (D) District 86 said.
WRTV's Amber Grigley caught up with Delaney, asking him how a special session could impact taxpayers.
"Approximately a quarter of a million dollars, maybe a little bit less. That's based upon what it cost when we did the abortion special session a few years back. So it's a quarter million dollars, and we're not addressing any issue that's urgent here. What's urgent in Indiana is our preschool system is collapsing because we cut the money. The schools are closing. There are over 20,000 people, parents, on a waiting list. There are 20,000 kids who aren't getting preschool. That might be an emergency. That might justify spending this money,” Delaney said.
Besides digging deep in Hoosiers' pockets.
"What does that mean for voters of Marion County?" Amber asked Bell.
“I know that every vote matters. Trying to convince voters of that same thing is like pulling teeth,” Bell said. “We are almost dead last in the nation in voter turnout. This is going to do nothing to benefit that turnout."
"She makes a great point. The deal is. That we're going to, if we do this, we're going to create brand new maps at the last possible moment. Maybe we'll be too late. And here's why. In the first week of January, you can file for Congress, OK? That means you might want to know where the district is. I'm joking. You obviously have to know where the district is, and that means all the counties that are affected, and it would have to be many counties; all of them will have to rejigger their maps, decide which voters are in which districts," Delaney said.
