FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: January 14, 2023
Time Requested: 03:47 PM |
| Agency: |
Secretary of State |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 1395 |
Introduced |
HB2184 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
|
|---|
|
FUND(S):
1617
Sources of Revenue:
General Fund
Legislation creates:
Increases Existing Expenses, Creates New Program
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
This bill increases existing expenses for purchasing and shipping voter registration applications to counties in addition to those currently provided ad hoc upon request.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2023
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2024
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
5,615 |
5,615 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
9,700 |
9,700 |
15,315 |
| Repairs and Alterations |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Assets |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2. Estimated Total Revenues |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):
The Secretary of State purchases voter registration applications from a statewide vendor on a 2-year contract basis and distributes to all 55 counties upon request. Current contract costs the state $4,200 for 50,000 applications @ $0.084 per application + est. shipping costs of $100 per county to 55 counties.
The bill calls for all precincts to have paper applications available on election day. In 2022 General Election, there were approx. 1,700 precincts. Arbitrary estimation of making available 25 additional voter registration applications in every precinct = 1,375 additional applications. Costs of applications increases $115.50 + $5,500 additional shipment to all 55 counties @ est. $100 per shipment for a total net increase in cost of $5,615.50. This estimate will be decreased by the amount of a county's on-hand supply of voter registration applications.
Memorandum
Lines 7 - 9 call for "the application form and documentation require" to "conform as closely as possible to the requirements state in this code for registering at other time or under other circumstances and should be no more stringent." This mandate is vague, leaving open interpretation for determining what "conform[s] as closely as possible" to existing requirements. Additionally, the bill makes no mention of any real-time security or election integrity protections that would prevent any voter from voting in original precinct then registering to vote anew in a different precinct. Mandating that the ballot cast after a new registration is to be "challenged" does help with ensuring illegal votes are not admitted.
However, the person casting the vote in a different precinct may be subject to criminal investigation, which raises the question whether this process violates the bill's prohibition against the process being "more stringent." Additionally, the challenged ballot section at W. Va. Code 3-1-41 expressly prohibits the board of canvassers from counting a challenged ballot "if the voter is casting a ballot in the incorrect precinct." That section of Code must also be amended for this proposal.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Donald Kersey
Email Address: dkersey@wvsos.gov