LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session April 18, 1995 TO: Honorable Debra Danburg, Chair IN RE: House BillNo. 1382, Committee on Elections as amended House of Representatives By: Oakley Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No. 1382 (Relating to allowing a person who will be 18 years of age before the general election for state and county officers to vote in the preceding primary elections.) this office has determined the following: The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill would add Section 172.005 to the Election Code to allow persons to vote in the primary election if they will be 18 years of age or older by the first day of the period for early voting by personal appearance in the subsequent general election for state and county officers. The Secretary of State is charged with prescribing procedures necessary to implement the new section in consultation with the chairs of the parties required to make nominations by primary election. County voter registrars would be responsible for implementing the new statute. Voter registrars or elections administrators would probably bear the cost of reprogramming their systems to reflect the new class of voters, along with costs of maintaining a separate list of voters eligible for the primary, but for no other elections until the general election. The bill would require a one-time change to the voter registration application, to include information on a person's ability to vote in a primary election if the person will be 18 years old by the beginning of early voting by personal appearance for the general election. The Secretary of State would also have to reprogram the current on-line system to handle the new class of voters. The bill would take effect on the date on which the constitutional amendment authorizing certain persons under the age of 18 to vote in a primary election takes effect. The probable fiscal implication of implementing the provisions of the bill during each of the first five years following passage is estimated as follows: Fiscal Probable Cost Out Year of General Revenue Fund 001 1996 $91,200 1997 0 1998 0 1999 0 2000 0 Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the provisions of the bill are in effect. The fiscal implication to units of local government cannot be determined. Source: Secretary of State LBB Staff: JK, BR, RR