Board of Elections says FY26 is a low-election year; move to new offices and outreach plans ongoing

The St. Louis City Board of Elections presented its FY26 budget to the Budget and Public Employees Committee on May 14, describing a “down year” for scheduled citywide elections but noting one special election and continued work to relocate and modernize operations.

Gary Stoff, Republican director of elections, and Ben Borgmeyer, Democratic director, said the board expects no citywide election in FY26 but will administer an eighth-ward special election in July. Stoff told the committee the office’s staffing and operating lines allocated in the proposed budget are sufficient for routine operations in a down year, though the directors noted facility and infrastructure needs tied to their move to 1520 Market Street that may require capital or supplemental funding.

“We appreciate what has been allocated,” Stoff said, and he asked the committee to consider future needs tied to infrastructure at the new site — for example elevator or warehouse repairs mentioned in news coverage — as capital items rather than routine operating expenses.

Borgmeyer reviewed the board’s recent operational changes and said last year’s four citywide elections were conducted efficiently in part because of new voting equipment and vote-anywhere/no-excuse absentee processes. He noted the office certified results in the recent municipal election earlier than the two-week statutory deadline and credited modernization for faster reporting.

The directors described outreach efforts to increase voter awareness and turnout: the board now has a dedicated outreach staff position, has increased social-media presence and plans to expand instructional outreach via video and other channels. Borgmeyer said the office has documented improvements in engagement tools and expects to expand reporting about event types and polling operations when internal workflows quiet down after the peak season.

The committee asked about polling-place accessibility and the board’s DOJ ADA settlement. Stoff said the Department of Justice voluntarily terminated the board’s ADA settlement in December after the board hired an ADA manager and implemented required changes. He also noted the board is evaluating polling sites for continued ADA compliance and said fewer than 5,000 of 216,000 registered city voters lived more than a mile from a polling place after site adjustments.

On turnout patterns, the directors said no-excuse absentee use surged in the federal election but fell for recent spring municipal elections: “I personally think that no-excuse absentee is the wave of the future,” Borgmeyer said, but he added turnout and usage vary by election type and timing.

The directors said the board is preparing for ongoing administrative tasks in FY26, including the statutorily required canvas of voters and petition review and noted that some operational increases — for example cellular communications costs used at polling places — are election-season expenses that the board maintains between elections.

Speakers and next steps

— Speakers: Gary Stoff (Republican director of elections), Ben Borgmeyer (Democratic director of elections), Josh Lewis (budget director, supporting directors), and committee members. — Next steps: Elections staff said they will continue to refine outreach and polling-site assessments and will return with costed requests if capital or supplemental funds are required for the Market Street move or accessibility upgrades.

Ending

The board asked the committee to consider infrastructure needs tied to the relocation as potential capital items; directors said they would forward additional documentation and continue to coordinate with committee staff.