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Election board hears questions about State Board of Accounts guidance on pay classification; decision tabled
Summary
Board reviewed conflicting guidance between state law, IRS rules and the State Board of Accounts about whether election workers must be on payroll or can be independent contractors; members voted to table further action while seeking clarification.
The St. Joseph County Election Board discussed guidance from the State Board of Accounts (SBOA) suggesting some election workers could be required to be placed on payroll. Board members said state statutes refer to election workers as independent contractors, while IRS rules use different tests to determine employment status.
Election staff said the SBOA guidance — and overlapping IRS and county payroll rules — created uncertainty about whether vote-center workers, poll workers and other temporary election staff must be processed through county payroll. Staff reported they had contacted the Indiana Election Division and the county auditor and planned to coordinate with the county attorney and human resources to resolve the conflict.
Tricia (election office staff) told the board that implementing payroll for large numbers of temporary workers would be administratively complex and that worker counts change frequently. Board members agreed the issue needs legal and administrative clarification before adopting a procedural change. One board member said the SBOA cannot overrule state law and that the board would seek clarification from the State Board of Accounts and the Indiana Election Division. The board voted to table the matter and to seek meetings with the auditor, HR and SBOA for guidance.
No change to worker classification or payroll processing was adopted at the meeting. Staff said the matter will remain on the board’s radar as the county approaches worker hiring for future elections.
