LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 19, 2009

TO:	Honorable Todd Smith, Chair, House Committee on Elections
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1892 by Berman (Relating to nominations by primary election by all political parties.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB1892, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($7,500,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2011.

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
2010	($7,500,000)
2011	$0
2012	($7,500,000)
2013	$0
2014	($7,500,000)

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable (Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2010	($7,500,000)
2011	$0
2012	($7,500,000)
2013	$0
2014	($7,500,000)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would require all political parties to be nominated by a primary election. The bill would also repeal Sections 162.007, 172.002, 202.005, and Subtitle C, Title 10 of the Election Code related to candidate nomination process by convention.

Methodology

Secretary of State (SOS) assumes the cost of this bill would be $7.5 million.  SOS averaged the Democrat and Republican costs for the 2006 primary in the counties where other parties have county chairs and applied the average to the other parties’ county chairs to determine the total cost associated with this bill.

Local Government Impact

The bill would require all political parties to be nominated by a primary election. Local governments could incur additional costs to print additional election ballots, or purchase or rent additional election equipment for early voting.

Dallas, Tarrant, and Tom Green Counties reported the costs to implement the provisions of the bill are not anticipated to be significant.

The Harris County Office of Budget and Management reported the costs would be an estimated $200,000 (34 to 40 polling locations) to $1,000,000 (750 polling locations) to hold a countywide primary election for a third political party, rather than two as is currently required.

Lubbock County reported the costs would be an estimated $25,000 for new operational costs that would include longer training sessions for poll workers.

Source Agencies:

307 Secretary of State, 356 Texas Ethics Commission

LBB Staff:

JOB, TP, SD, MS, BTA