LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
March 6, 1997
TO: Honorable Debra Danburg, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 331
Committee on Elections By: Danburg
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB331 ( Relating
to certain election processes and procedures.) this office has
detemined the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB331-As Introduced FN Revision 1
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net
positive impact of $ 64,914 to General Revenue Related Funds
through the biennium ending August 31, 1999.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions
of the bill.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill consists of several "clean-up" amendments to the Election
Code. It also authorizes election officials to make changes
to the list of registered voters by marking off the names of
early voters ("list notation") at a location other than the
polling place before it is opened for voting. The bill would
double the authorized fee charged by the county election officer
for general supervision of an election under an election services
contract, from five to ten percent of the total amount of the
contract. The bill also contains substantive changes to the
current method of selecting election officials and recount procedures.
The bill would take effect September 1, 1997.
Methodolgy
The Secretary of State's estimated cost to the primary finance
account in the general revenue fund for "list notation" by election
officials at a place other than the polling place was determined
by multiplying the number of polling places as of the 1996 primaries
by $5.00 per hour, the current amount paid to election officials
by the fund. It was determined that only one official per precinct
would provide this function. The cost was estimated at 20,394
polling places x $5.00 = $101,970.
The estimated increase
in the cost of election contracts to the primary finance fund
was determined by the Secretary of State by doubling the cost
of the administrative fees for the 1996 primary elections, as
the bill would double the authorized fee charged by the county
election officer under an election services contract. The cost
was estimated at $157,387.39 x 2 = $314,774.78.
Estimated
savings from party offices elected by plurality instead of majority
voter and the elimination of runoffs in those party elections
were calculated by multiplying the total runoff costs in the
1996 primary election by ten percent, the estimated percentage
of primary costs devoted to party office elections. The savings
were estimated at $3,242,713.32 x 10% = $324,271.33.
The probable fiscal implications of implementing the provisions
of the bill during each of the first five years following passage
is estimated as follows:
Five Year Impact:
Fiscal Year Probable Probable Revenue
Savings/(Cost) Gain/(Loss) from
from General General Revenue
Revenue Fund Fund
0001 0001
1998 ($259,357) $324,271
1998 0 0
2000 (259,357) 324,271
2001 0 0
2002 (259,357) 324,271
Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
The probable fiscal implication to General Revenue related funds
during each of the first five years is estimated as follows:
Fiscal Year Probable Net Postive/(Negative)
General Revenue Related Funds
Funds
1998 $64,914
1999 0
2000 64,914
2001 0
2002 64,914
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
Local governments would see increased costs from the fee for
election contracts which would be raised to ten percent of the
total, and the minimum election contract fee established at
$75.00. There would also be potential increased costs from
election officials notating registration lists at a place other
than the polling place.
There would be savings to local governments
from simplified partial manual count requirements for jurisdictions
with electronic voting systems. Counties could also save primary
runoff early voting costs by adopting the authorized plurality
requirement for party offices.
Source: Agencies: 307 Secretary of State
LBB Staff: JK ,PE ,JC