LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
April 2, 2001
TO: Honorable Debra Danburg, Chair, House Committee on
Elections
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB2115 by Ritter (Relating to compensation for services
rendered at a polling place by election officers.), As
Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB2115, As Introduced: negative impact of $(922,500) through the *
* biennium ending August 31, 2003. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
**************************************************************************
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2002 $(922,500) *
* 2003 0 *
* 2004 (922,500) *
* 2005 0 *
* 2006 (922,500) *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* General Revenue Fund *
* 0001 *
* 2002 $(922,500) *
* 2003 0 *
* 2004 (922,500) *
* 2005 0 *
* 2006 (922,500) *
*****************************************************
Technology Impact
None
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend Section 32.091(a) of the Election Code to require
that the minimum compensation for judges and clerks (which includes
primary election workers) must be at least $6.00 per hour.
Methodology
According to the Secretary of State's Office, the state currently pays
primary election poll workers $5.15 per hour. If the minimum pay
increased to $6.00 per hour, there would be an increase of $0.85 per
hour per worker. The number of election day workers is 77,521. The
number of hours worked by each election poll worker is 14 ($0.85 X
77,521 X 14=$922,499.90).
Local Government Impact
Most counties contacted indicated they already pay $6.00 an hour or more
for election judges and clerks. Those counties paying $6.00 per hour
would have no fiscal impact as a result of the provisions of the bill.
Any counties currently paying less than $6.00 per hour are paying the
federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour and would therefore experience an
increase of $0.85 per hour per election official. There are usually 4
election officials available per precinct and an average of 13 work
hours performed each.
Source Agencies: 307 Secretary of State, 304 Comptroller of Public
Accounts
LBB Staff: JK, TB, DB, SK