Commissioners review 2025–26 election budget, discuss grant-funded tablet sleeves and worker fees; approve conference travel

Madison County election commissioners reviewed the proposed 2025–26 election commission budget to be submitted to the Board of Supervisors and discussed equipment purchases and projected election-worker costs. Commissioners also approved travel to a national election conference in August.

A draft of the 2025–26 budget was placed in commissioners’ folders for review; staff said the budget will be submitted to Keisha to get on the Board of Supervisors agenda. One staff member and a commissioner said Pat Truesdale had helped prepare the spreadsheet. A commissioner requested additional time to ensure the budget figures align with planned activity before submission.

Commissioners discussed specific budget lines: one speaker said the election-worker fee line was calculated at $300,000 based on five elections. The same speaker said the commission expects a $155,000 grant that can be used to buy tablet sleeves and noted an estimated $54,000 cost for the sleeves. The speaker described the grant as a check to the commission that can be used to pay the expense.

The commission voted to approve attendance at the Election Center’s 40th annual conference in Salt Lake City in August. A commissioner said the group planned to leave on Aug. 19 and return on Aug. 24; the motion to approve attendance passed by voice vote.

Some commissioners questioned whether travel and conference approvals should be processed through supervisors when travel is charged to the commission budget. Commissioners discussed that travel lines in the new budget would need to be increased for anticipated trips next year.

The meeting record does not show a formal roll-call vote to adopt the full 2025–26 budget at the meeting; commissioners were asked to submit corrections before staff forwards the budget to the Board of Supervisors.