Honorable Jodie Laubenberg, Chair, House Committee on Elections
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3068 by Reynolds (Relating to the qualification of certain candidates for placement on the ballot.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB3068, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($809,988) through the biennium ending August 31, 2019.
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 Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2018
($598,065)
2019
($211,923)
2020
($211,923)
2021
($211,923)
2022
($211,923)
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2017
2018
($598,065)
1.0
2019
($211,923)
1.0
2020
($211,923)
1.0
2021
($211,923)
1.0
2022
($211,923)
1.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Election Code to require the Secretary of State (SOS) to provide a system for qualified voters to sign a nomination petition for a candidate or political party using a secure Internet portal. The system would be required to only allow signatures from qualified voters who are eligible to sign the petition and to provide a method to properly verify the voter's identity. Under the bill, the candidate would be allowed to use the online signature collection system to collect up to an amount equal to 150 percent of the number of required nomination petition signatures.
Methodology
This analysis assumes it would require $809,988 and 1.0 FTE in the 2018-19 biennium to implement the provisions of the bill.
SOS assumes the bill would require several one-time costs in fiscal year 2018, including $5,982 in equipment purchases, $274,560 for 2080 contracted programming hours to create the online petition portal, and $105,600 for 800 hours of contracted programming hours to build an interface with the voter registration system for verification of voter eligibility during the signature process. SOS assumes contracting programming hours would cost $132 per hour.
SOS assumes ongoing costs of the bill would include $123,120 per year for one additional web server and database server to host the system and 1.0 FTE for a Programmer IV to maintain the portal. FTE costs would include $65,000 per year for salaries and $23,803 for benefits.
Technology
This analysis assumes one-time technology costs to build the petition portal and interface with the existing voter registration system would total $380,160. Ongoing annual technology costs would include $123,120 per year in server costs to host the system.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.