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Elections office says state mail‑ballot contract will reduce county postage costs; warns budget still needs sample‑ballot funding
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Summary
Elections staff told the commission that joining the state's mail‑ballot vendor will shift bulk postage expense to the state and that the county recaptured $187,000 in hardware costs after Secretary of State reimbursement; staff requested a modest operating increase to cover reimbursable ballot‑publication costs that must be paid up front.
Douglas County Elections staff briefed commissioners on March 23 about operational changes tied to universal mail ballots and equipment upgrades ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
The elections administrator explained that AB 321 (the statute establishing a state role in mail ballots) and subsequent state procurement mean Douglas County joined the state mail‑ballot contract for this cycle; under the contract the state will pay for bulk postage in advance rather than reimbursing the county after the fact. "So that's why it's such a significant decrease," the administrator said, explaining a notable reduction in the elections postage line item in the tentative budget packet.
Elections staff also said the county purchased ballot marking devices last fiscal year and that the Secretary of State returned reimbursement—about $187,000—because the devices were in place before the state deadline. The office is rolling out interactive online training for more than 100 election workers, and the administrator said the state vendor change reduces variability in printing and mailing costs across rural counties.
Operational note: The administrator asked the board for a $34,728 supplemental operating increase to cover publishing state ballot questions in the newspaper; she said the expense is reimbursable by the Secretary of State but must be built into the county budget to prepay the cost.
Context: Elections costs can vary across fiscal years because primary and general election cycles span different budget years and some mandates are unfunded, staff said. The administrator also described new procedures to allow election workers to opt out of payment if they prefer not to be paid, per a recent legislative change, and staff are working with Human Resources to implement the option.
Next steps: The elections office will continue outreach and training and return with any formal supplemental requests for the board to approve.
