Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State Election Commission seeks $32 million to retire leases, proposes poll-worker pay increases and election-audit upgrades
Summary
The State Election Commission asked lawmakers for funding to pay off a $32 million master lease for new equipment, to increase poll-worker reimbursement and to fund risk-limiting audits, PLT certification and additional staff including a GIS position.
The Executive Director, State Election Commission, told a legislative subcommittee the agency seeks $32 million in nonrecurring funds to pay off a master lease used to replace aging ballot scanners and ballot-marking devices statewide.
The director said the vendor no longer produces the older model equipment, which forced a statewide swap to DS300 scanners and new ballot-marking devices and electronic poll books. "The total cost of that purchase is $32,000,000 and we're just seeking to, pay back," the Executive Director said.
Commission staff also requested $4.5 million in current funds to cover the routine cost of holding roughly 300 elections each fiscal year; a $423,000 request to hire five new full-time positions (including a GIS specialist to support redistricting and additional auditors); and $500,000 to support the agency's legal defense budget amid rising litigation.
The commission proposed switching from hand-count post-election audits to risk-limiting audits, saying the new scanners can print randomized audit identifiers that lower the number of ballots counties must review. The director called risk-limiting audits the "gold standard" and said the change would save time and improve accuracy while enabling more interstate voter-list matches.
To address on-the-ground technical problems, the commission proposed a new certified precinct-level technician (PLT) program to offer stipend-funded, standardized training for technicians counties hire to resolve equipment issues on election day.
The commission also requested $4 million to raise the state reimbursement for poll-worker pay from $135 per election (combination of training and work pay) to $175, saying the current rate has not changed since fiscal 2017. The director noted counties may split shifts but recruiting remains difficult because workers decline long days.
On voter-roll accuracy, the director discussed ERIC (the Electronic Registration Information Center), the interstate voter-registration tool, and said state participation is under review if member states drop out. The director said ERIC helps with interstate matches and that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission has expressed interest in housing a similar service at the federal level to provide a free option for states.
The director addressed a local audit finding about votes recorded for people after death and said those cases typically involved absentee ballots mailed before a voter's death or delayed notifications from other agencies. "Our list is as accurate as the information we receive," the director said, describing multiple data feeds (state vital records, Social Security, funeral homes) that can lag or duplicate notices.
Why it matters: The requests would affect how counties run elections and how much the state reimburses locals for staffing and equipment. Redistricting workload and litigation exposure also informed the staffing and legal-defense requests.
The commission will publish further documentation and fiscal details as the budget process continues, and lawmakers asked to review draft language for potential statutory changes and reimbursement mechanisms.
