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Supervisor: special elections left office $300,000 short; ClearBallot, website and cyber funding raise budget pressure
Summary
Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections told commissioners July 22 that special elections left the office temporarily $300,000 short pending state reimbursement, and highlighted anticipated budget impacts from potential ClearBallot mandates, a website rebuild and cuts to federal ISAC funding for cyber‑threat services.
Supervisor Lux, Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections, told the Board of County Commissioners on July 22 that the office will temporarily carry about $300,000 in special‑election costs pending reimbursement from the state.
“We extended the 2024 election cycle by another six months… those special elections, while we will indeed be reimbursed, have put me in a $300,000 hole coming the end of the year,” Supervisor Lux said, adding that the office would file reimbursement claims soon.
Lux outlined additional budget pressures: a proposed ClearBallot automated auditing system has substantial implementation costs and, though legislation to mandate it failed this year, she said she expected the measure would be reintroduced and that counties must plan for the ongoing rollout. The office also needs funds to replace its website vendor and cover ongoing maintenance after an election‑night results problem, she said.
Lux told the board that federal cuts to cybersecurity grant funding for the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI‑ISAC) and the Multi‑State ISAC will shift costs to state or local governments unless alternative funding is found.
On petition processing, Lux said recent legislation will require election offices to mail a notice to signers of initiative petitions and that counties are allowed to recover that cost from petitioners. She said the processing cost for initiative petitions will rise from $0.10 to $3.23 per petition under the new law, which will require counties to front postage and then bill petitioners.
Lux said the office is otherwise running well and expected to avoid equipment purchases this year; she asked commissioners to note the upcoming budget impacts tied to the software and security costs.
No formal action on the elections budget occurred at the July 22 workshop; the presentation was informational for the FY26 budget process.
