LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          April 20, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Debra Danburg, Chair         IN RE: Committee Substitute
         Committee on Elections                                for House
         House of Representatives               Bill No. 1859
         Austin, Texas









FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
1859 (Relating to the form of the ballot and related procedures
in connection with certain voters voting on an affidavit;
providing criminal penalties.) 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 set up new procedures for voting by "challenge
affidavit."  The current procedure allows persons who are
challenged about their voter eligibility to vote after executing
an affidavit certifying that they are eligible to vote.  The bill
would require that the ballot of such a voter include a
detachable stub which the voter would sign and deposit in a
separate envelope at the polling place.  The election office
would deposit the ballot stub enclosed in its envelope in
envelope no. 5.  The Secretary of State would be responsible for
determining the number of ballots with stubs to be provided to
polling places.  Local governments would be required to print
separate stub ballots for challenged voters.

During primary election years, the additional cost to the State
for the stub challenge ballots would be approximately $169,995. 
This cost is based on an assumption that placing a stub on the
ballot would be a ballot format change which would cost about $15    




per precinct for each of the state's 11,333 voting precincts.

 
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                $169,995
          1997                       0
                                      
          1998                 169,995
                                      
          1999                       0
          2000                 169,995
                                      
                                      
                                      
       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