LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 16, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Debra Danburg, Chair, House Committee on
               Elections
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1856  by Danburg (Relating to the use of punch-card
               election ballots.), As Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would require counties to phase out the use of punch-card
ballots for elections by forbidding the acquisition of new or renewal of
existing contracts for punch-card voting systems after September 1, 2001.
Until the contract for the punch-card system expires, the provisions of
the bill stipulate how the punch-card devices are used and checked. Among
those provisions would be for each polling place using the punch-card
system to have a punch-card ballot reader or illuminating device
available to the voters to facilitate the detection of improperly voted
ballots before depositing them into the ballot box. The bill would also
require that punch-card undervotes and overvotes be tallied, tabulated,
and reported by race and by election precinct as prescribed by the
Secretary of State.

Replacing punch-card voting equipment could cost at least $3,500 per new
device if electronic voting equipment were purchased.  Purchasing or
leasing equipment for each precinct for checking the ballot prior to
depositing it into the ballot box would be an additional expense that
would vary based on the type of equipment used.  Requiring election
officials to sort, talley, and tabulate undervotes and overvotes would
require paying overtime. According to the Harris County Administrator of
Elections, the estimated cost for the projected amount of overtime for
their election officials would add up to $25,000 to the cost of the
election.

There are 14 counties in Texas that use a punchcard ballot representing
approximately 1,787 precincts with an average of four machines per
precinct.
  
  
Source Agencies:   307   Secretary of State
LBB Staff:         JK, TB, SK, DB