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Board of Elections reports FY26 operating stability, continues move to 15–20 Market and outreach push
Summary
The Board of Elections told the Budget Committee its FY26 request is manageable in an off-election year, said equipment and staffing are sufficient for upcoming special elections, and described ongoing work on ADA compliance, a move to 15–20 Market Street, and expanded voter outreach including a dedicated outreach staffer.
Commissioners from the St. Louis Board of Elections briefed aldermen on May 14 that the board’s FY26 operating budget is adequate for a down year with no citywide scheduled elections, though officials flagged facility concerns and plans to continue outreach.
Gary Stoff, Republican Director of Elections, told the committee the fiscal year is a "down year" with the exception of an Eighth Ward special election in July, and that the board appreciates its current allocation for salaries and operating costs. Ben Borgmeyer, Democratic Director of Elections, credited recent investments for successful recent citywide elections and said upgrades — new voting equipment, no-excuse absentee, vote-anywhere features and online tools — helped the office deliver timely results and certification.
Borgmeyer said the board is transitioning equipment and operations to a new location at 15–20 Market Street and noted ongoing facility issues such as warehouse elevators that may require capital attention. On outreach, the board said it recently added a dedicated outreach staff position and increased social-media and instructional-video content. "We have 1,352 followers on Facebook ... placing instructional videos, like on our YouTube channel," Borgmeyer said.
Committee members asked about no-excuse absentee voting, turnout patterns and ADA-related polling-place changes. Borgmeyer and Stoff said no-excuse absentee saw heavy use in the federal election (over half of city voters who voted in that election used it) but lower usage in the spring municipal cycle; they said historical turnout differences between fall and spring elections are a likely factor. Stoff said a Department of Justice ADA settlement led to a multiyear compliance effort; DOJ later voluntarily terminated that agreement after the department had made progress and hired an ADA manager.
Why it matters: the board’s work on voting access, ADA compliance, and the planned move of election operations affects the administration of future elections and voter outreach in St. Louis.
Ending: Commissioners said the FY26 budget is sufficient for current operations and asked the committee to monitor facility-related needs and future outreach funding as the board completes the office move.
