Rockingham County Board of Elections recommends $622k operating budget to commissioners after debate over line items and process

The Rockingham County Board of Elections voted to recommend its proposed fiscal-year 2026–27 operating budget to the Board of County Commissioners after a lengthy discussion of staffing, equipment and outreach costs.

Miss Singer, the presenter of the budget, told the board the proposed total would be about $622,000 and walked members through line items compared with recent fiscal years. She said the precinct-officials line reflects an expectation of roughly 96 early-voting officials and about 200 precinct officials for the general election and that those staffing needs — and higher printing and ballot costs — are the primary drivers of the increase.

“We have 96 early voting officials. It is a 12 hour shift. We split that in half and then we have 14 precincts with approximately 200 officials,” Miss Singer said, describing the staffing assumptions behind the budget.

Singer asked the board to retain a precinct-officials allocation near $125,000 and identified $49,350 in printing and election-materials costs (about $25,500 for ballots and testing, $11,000 for coding/layout and $10,500 for outreach brochures and education materials). She also proposed roughly $9,850 for updated monthly audio and video outreach and podcast work to modernize voter-facing materials.

Board members pressed on several details, including a proposal to increase the utilities estimate from $5,500 to $6,200 (an additional $700) after members said winter utility bills have risen. Singer agreed to add $700 to the utilities line to better align estimates with recent usage.

A separate point of contention concerned a proposed reallocation of board-member compensation — combining monthly salary and election pay into a fixed monthly amount with small cell-phone and travel allowances. Singer said the net compensation would not change, but that the reallocation must be approved by the Board of County Commissioners.

“I have a massive issue of sending something off without this board it coming through this board,” one board member said, objecting to staff transmitting the proposal to the commissioners before the full board had discussed it in advance.

Singer said she had been asked by the chair to submit the matter to the county clerk so it could appear on the commissioners’ agenda; she noted the commissioners may act with or without the local board’s recommendation.

Motion and next steps

Motion by Mister White, seconded by Miss Cotton, to recommend the FY2026–27 budget as amended (the total cited in the record) to the Board of County Commissioners was approved by voice vote; the board recorded its recommendation for transmittal. Singer said she will meet with county management and notify board members of any changes arising from that review.

Budget totals and notes

The record contains two closely stated totals for the proposed budget in discussion ($622,770 at one point, $622,070 at another); Singer described the figure as the budget total "as amended this evening." Specific line-item estimates presented in the meeting included: $125,000 for precinct officials, $49,350 for printing and ballots, $9,850 for outreach media, and the added $700 to utilities. The reallocation of board pay would not change overall compensation but requires commissioners’ approval.

The board’s recommendation will be considered by the Board of County Commissioners at their next available meeting.