COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
LR No.: 4772-01
Bill No.: SB 1327
Subject: Secretary of State: Elections
Type: Original
Date: March 15, 2004
FISCAL SUMMARY
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2005 | FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| General Revenue | ($16,200) | $0 | $0 |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on General Revenue Fund |
($16,200) | $0 | $0 |
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2005 | FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| Highway | ($3,960) | $0 | $0 |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on Other State Funds |
($3,960) | $0 | $0 |
Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses.
This fiscal note contains 7 pages.
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2005 | FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on All Federal Funds |
$0 | $0 | $0 |
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2005 | FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| Local Government | ($229,540 to Unknown) | ($21,125 to Unknown) | ($68,400 to Unknown) |
ASSUMPTION
Officials of the Office of Secretary of State (SOS)- Elections Division stated the change would require them to revise the postcard voter registration application. Printing 500,000 applications @ .03 cents each would cost $15,000. This bill requires the SOS to prescribe a form for declaring party affiliation. Officials estimate cost of printing forms at $16,200 for 100,000 forms.
Officials of the Office of Secretary of State - Administrative Rules Division assume this proposal requires a declaration of party affiliation in order to vote in a primary election. The Elections Division would promulgate rules to implement the bill. These rules will be published in the Missouri Register and the Code of State Regulations. Officials estimate publication costs in FY 2005 at $615, and is Unknown for FYs 2006 and 2007.
Oversight assumes the SOS could absorb the costs of printing and distributing regulations related to this proposal. If multiple bills pass which require the printing and distribution of regulations at substantial costs, the SOS could request funding through the appropriation process. Any decisions to raise fees to defray costs would likely be made in subsequent fiscal years.
ASSUMPTION (continued)
Officials of the Department of Revenue stated that to implement this legislation will require additional funds. In the past, the programs included in this legislation have been paid for with highway funds. This year, however, highway funds may not be available for this purpose as a result of legislation enacted by the General Assembly in 2000 that limits the use of highway funds.
This limitation is found in Section 226.200.3, RSMo. It places a cap on the highway funding available to state departments other than the Department of Transportation. The total amount of highway funds appropriated to these other state departments (including the Department of Revenue) cannot exceed the total amount of their fiscal year 2001 highway appropriations. This cap limits the highway funds that will be available for the implementation of this legislation.
If highway funds are not available, then another source of funding must be identified to pay for the cost of implementing this legislation.
Department of Revenue officials stated there would be the following costs:
Programming
This legislation will require changes and testing for the Over the Counter (OTC) driver license issuance system.
FY05 Programming (ITB)
12 Hours required for contracted programming to OTC edits and screens
$100 Hourly contract rate
$1,200 Total contracted programming cost
FY05 Testing (CAB)
120 Hours required for requirements and testing
$23 Hourly overtime rate for one CIT III (requires one CIT III)
$2,760 Total overtime requirements and testing cost
Officials of the Platte County Board of Election Commission stated they would have fiscal impact as follows:
ASSUMPTION (continued)
2005
$1,000 - new signage required by bill notifying voters that they must declare their
party affiliation on Primary election day
$4,000 - update registration forms to include Party Affiliation question.
$3,500 - upgrade existing voter registration system to record party affiliation and to
print party affiliation on precinct register for Primary election only, and to
create a party affiliation list for each party chairperson.
$400 - cost of lists to the party chairpersons.
2006
$2,800 - 1 registrar in each polling site plus 2 in our office per election day
@$100/election x 1 election. (28 x $100 x 1)
$225 -FICA on registrar salaries
$50. - Work Comp Insurance premium on registrars
$1,200 - training of new registrars -
$250 - mileage for registrars to pick up supplies and return supplies for each election
$200 /year - supplies for each polling site, pens, paper clips, folders
$4,000 - registration forms to include Party Affiliation question.
$2,000 - data entry expenses to record party affiliation information gathered at the
Primary election.
$400 - cost of lists to the party chairpersons
2007
$4,000 - registration forms to include Party Affiliation question.
$400 - cost of lists to the party chairpersons
Officials of the St. Louis County Board of Election Commission assume the following:
Officials assume they would need to add a field to their database. Just to add this field to the main database would take a minimum of 300 programming hours to cover all the programs this information would fall into, including the precinct binders used at the polls. At $85 per hour, this would come to $25,500.
In addition, the state date base would have to be modified to reflect this additional information. Cost: Unknown
ASSUMPTION (continued)
The voting public, following current events, would be constantly changing their party affiliation based on the latest news and political ads. Officials estimate having to hire at least two more people just to handle changes in party preference in general election years. $54,000
Reprinting of judge training manuals: 6,000 x $1.10 each $6,600
Total initial cost: $32,100 not counting cost of 2 FTE during general election years
Officials of the Jackson County Board of Election Commission stated they would have costs of printing of voter registration forms, postage of notice to voters, computer programming, training Registration Clerks, maintenance of computer files and card files. Officials estimate FY 2005 costs at $134,540. Officials estimate FY 2006 and 2007 costs at $10,000
| FISCAL IMPACT - State Government | FY 2005
(10 Mo.) |
FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| GENERAL REVENUE FUND | |||
| Cost to Secretary of State | |||
| for printing forms | ($16,200) | $0 | $0 |
| ESTIMATED NET EFFECT TO GENERAL REVENUE FUND | ($16,200) | $0 | $0 |
| HIGHWAY FUND | |||
| Cost to Department of Revenue - Motor Vehicle | |||
| programming, testing costs | ($3,960) | $0 | $0 |
| ESTIMATED NET EFFECT TO HIGHWAY FUND | ($3,960) | $0 | $0 |
| FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government | FY 2005 | FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| COUNTIES - ELECTION AUTHORITIES | |||
| Platte County | ($8,900) | ($11,125) | ($4,400) |
| St. Louis County | ($86,100) | $0 | ($54,000) |
| Jackson County | ($134,540) | ($10,000) | ($10,000) |
| All other Election Authorities | (Unknown) | (Unknown) | (Unknown) |
| ESTIMATED NET EFFECT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT | ($229,540 to Unknown) | ($21,125 to Unknown) | ($68,400 to Unknown) |
FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.
DESCRIPTION
This act requires any person who wishes to vote in a primary election to declare a party
affiliation. The declaration can occur at the time of registration to vote, or at the polling place on
the primary election day. The Secretary of State is authorized to create statements of party
affiliation that can be filled out at the polling place in order for the person to vote at the primary
election. Such statements shall be retained by the election authority. A person can change their
declaration of party affiliation at any time up to 14 days prior to the primary election. Election
authorities, voter registration agencies, and offices of the division of motor vehicles shall inform
each person who is registering to vote that the person can declare a party affiliation. The
registration form is amended so that an applicant for registration to vote can declare their party
affiliation.
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
Office of Secretary of State
Department of Revenue - Motor Vehicles
St. Louis County Board of Election Commission
Jackson County Board of Election Commission
Platte County Board of Election Commission
NOT RESPONDING
Greene County Clerk
Cole County Clerk
Jefferson County Clerk
St. Louis City Board of Election Commission
Mickey Wilson, CPA
Director
March 15, 2004