Board of Elections requests $1.24 million for 2026; officials cite staffing, insurance and equipment contingency

Board of Elections Director Jane Zimmerman presented the office's 2026 budget request on Oct. 28, asking the Board of Commissioners to consider a total appropriation of $1,239,731.43, an increase of about $65,000 over the current year.

Zimmerman said most of the increase is driven by salaries and health insurance that accompany those payroll changes. The office proposed a 3% pay increase for full-time, seasonal and part-time staff and a specific 5% increase for a named employee to adjust a starting wage; Zimmerman also noted that statutory 5% raises for board members are included in the package.

Elections staff warned commissioners that next year's midterm election is expected to draw substantially higher turnout than the most recent election, and that supplies have been increased accordingly. Zimmerman said midterms have historically seen turnout in the 4055% range and that the office is planning for roughly 50% turnout in 2026. The office also budgeted higher travel and mileage to pay for additional setup and tear-down teams and staff winter training, which Zimmerman said helps retain poll workers.

On the voting-equipment fund, staff described several recurring costs and contingencies: an asset-management product (Entegra), mobile Wi-Fi charges (Verizon), and a contingency line because voting machines and backup batteries wear out unpredictably. Staff said voting units use two backup batteries and that in a recent prolonged outage a major site required about 50 extra batteries; batteries cost roughly $200 apiece. The office set aside contingency funding to replace batteries and pay for equipment repairs, citing an episodic need for 3050 batteries in past incidents.

Zimmerman also noted past cooperation with county maintenance and partner organizations to operate during outages (generators, mobile sites) and said the office has contingency plans for consolidating or moving precincts if necessary.

Ending: Commissioners listened and asked clarifying questions; staff will provide additional detail as requested during budget deliberations.