Fiscal Note - SB 0181 - Establishes Procedures For Early Voting
L.R. NO. 0234-03
BILL NO. SB 181
SUBJECT: Counties: Elections
TYPE: Original
DATE: January 28, 1997
FISCAL SUMMARY
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON STATE FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000
General Revenue (Unknown) (Unknown) (Unknown)
Total Estimated
Net Effect on All
State Funds* (Unknown) (Unknown) (Unknown)
*Total cost of reimbursement statewide is unknown, (Article X, Section 21
Missouri State Constitution). Cost is expected to be in excess of $100,000.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000
Total Estimated
Net Effect on All
Federal Funds $0 $0 $0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000
Local Government $0 $0 $0
FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
Officials of the Office of Secretary of State (SOS) assume no fiscal impact
to their office.
Cole County and Callaway County Clerks stated that there would be some minor
cost, however, they assume no fiscal impact.
The County Clerk of Green County estimates the impact of early voting to be
as follows. A county the size of Greene would require; 1 additional
satellite location. The satellite location would need 1 laptop computer with
voter registration software, $3000 (one-time cost); 1 dedicated phone line
for the modem, $150 each election; extra printing, vote recorders, envelopes,
postage, and booths, $5,000. Officials estimate that they would need eight
Judges, eight hours a day at $6.00 per hour would be $384 for each day of
early voting. Officials stated this proposal limits early voting to 15 days
(from 20 days before an election to 5 days prior). However, by removing the
legal reasons for voting absentee (absence from the jurisdiction, incapacity,
religious belief, incarceration), you are actually making early voting
available from six weeks prior to the election until the Monday before. That
adds up to 31 and a half days (they are required to be open four hours on the
Saturday before the election). Those 31.5 days would increase personnel
costs by $12,096 for each major election (31.5 days at $384 per day).
Under current law, staff can handle absentee voting in their office for most
elections. They do hire extra people for major elections, (August and
November in even-numbered years), however, removing the legal reasons for
voting absentee would increase the number of absentee voters exponentially.
This is why they would request a minimum of four extra election judges in
their office as well as at the satellite location. At least four extra
election night judges would be needed to prepare, "count and tally
separately" the early voted ballots (four judges at $6.00 for four hours=$96
each election). Total Costs: $17,342 per major election, $3,000 one-time
computer hardware expenditure.
Greene County officials assume, under the Hancock Amendment, the state would
absorb the cost of this legislation.
The Board of Election Commissioners of St. Louis County stated that as the
largest election authority in the state, they feel St. Louis County, with
639,000 registered voters scattered over 475 square miles, would need a
minimum of three satellite locations (North, West, and South County), in
addition to their main office, to comply with this legislation. The
following cost estimates are based on that assumption.
RECURRING FIXED COSTS (Annual):
Labor
6 additional full-time employees (2 per site)
@ $20,000 per year $120,000..........................................$120,000
Fringe Benefits........................................................33,456
6 temporary employees (2 per site)
@ $6.20 per hr. x 8 hrs. per day x 3 countywide elections per year....14,285
Transportation (Equipment Pick-up & Delivery)
$100 per site x 5 elections............................................1,500
Satellite rental (estimate $150 per day per site x 3 sites x 45 days x 5
elections..............................................................33,750
TOTAL OF RECURRING COST..............................................$202,991
NON RECURRING COSTS
Equipment..............................................................$9,750
Programming (Software)................................................$8,000
Total:.......................................$17,750
BALLOT PROCESSING CHARGES - Cost dependent on Ballots requested:
Printing, envelopes, and necessary supplies per ballot.....................50
Voting at counter @ $9.00 x 15 minutes per ballot........................2.25
Voting by mail @ $9.00 x 10 minutes per ballot + $1.75 postage...........4.00
This legislation would require the following:
Cost of election day preparation of ballots would increase significantly due
to overtime.
(Ballots to be opened would easily double present work-load)
A special report listing early voters would have to be delivered to each
polling place on election day, since polling place binders are presently
printed 21 days before the election and delivery of polling equipment begins
10 days prior.
St. Louis County Election officials assume that the Hancock amendment would
be triggered requiring state reimbursement for costs.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - St. Louis County
1996 absentee applied ballots
April Municipal election - 5,877
August Primary election - 5,843
November General election - 26,706
Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners assume this proposal would have
significant fiscal impact to implement. Officials estimate that additional
satellite voting locations would be needed at an annual cost of $49,200.
Officials estimate an increase in postage and printing totaling $35,620 and
labor cost would increase by $26,300. Officials estimate the total annual
cost of implementing early voting would be at least $111,120.
Oversight assumes cost per election authority is indeterminable and will be
shown as unknown. Oversight also assumes the cost of additional duties to
election authorities would be reimbursed under Article X, Section 21 of the
Missouri Constitution.
FISCAL IMPACT - State Government FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000
(10 Mo.)
GENERAL REVENUE
Cost to General Revenue
For early voting cost to counties
Article X, Section 21 (Unknown)* (Unknown)* (Unknown)*
*Cost of reimbursement statewide is unknown, however, it is estimated to be
in excess of $100,000.
FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000
(10 Mo.)
Income to Certain Counties
Early voting cost reimbursement
from State of Missouri
Article X, Section 21 Unknown Unknown Unknown
Cost to Certain Counties
Election Expense
Early Voting Cost (Unknown)* (Unknown)* (Unknown)*
TOTAL NET EFFECT
TO CERTAIN COUNTIES $0 $0 $0
*Cost to Counties would be reimbursed by the State of Missouri, Article X,
Section 21.
FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of
this proposal.
DESCRIPTION
This act would allow early voting in Missouri, and would allow voting
absentee without stating a reason.
Early voting dates would extend from 20 days to 5 days before the election.
All election authorities would be required to keep early voting hours for a
minimum of three hours per weekday (Monday through Friday), excluding state
holidays.
The reasons which currently must be given for absentee voting are removed
(voter is out of town, ill, or in jail or because of employment or religious
belief).
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other
program and would not require additional capital improvements or rental
space.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Board of Election Commission - St. Louis County
Secretary of State
Greene County Clerk
Callaway County Clerk
Cole County Clerk
Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners
This Fiscal Note is not an official copy and should not be quoted or cited.