FISCAL NOTE

Date Requested: January 16, 2020
Time Requested: 01:57 PM
Agency: State Election Commission, WV
CBD Number: Version: Bill Number: Resolution Number:
2038 Introduced HB4372
CBD Subject: Elections


FUND(S):

N/a

Sources of Revenue:

Other Fund N/a

Legislation creates:





Fiscal Note Summary


Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.


The Secretary of State's Office does not create, design, proof or pay for printing or programming of any ballot. Therefore, no costs will be borne by State Government. However, each of the 55 counties' Boards of Ballot Commissioners is responsible for designing and approving ballot styles. The ballots are printed (for paper/absentee ballots) and programmed (for electronic voting machines) at the expense of the County Commissions. This bill will likely minimally increase the cost of the ballot printing and programming, especially if the additional information required to be placed on the ballot (i.e. political party platforms) requires additional pages/screens to be printed/programmed. Put differently, the longer the ballot, the more it costs the counties.



Fiscal Note Detail


Effect of Proposal Fiscal Year
2020
Increase/Decrease
(use"-")
2021
Increase/Decrease
(use"-")
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation)
1. Estmated Total Cost 0 0 0
Personal Services 0 0 0
Current Expenses 0 0 0
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):


County Clerk staff in each county is responsible for preparing the ballots. Adding language that is provided by political parties to a ballot would be a minimal time obligation on county staff.



Memorandum


The bill does not address (1) when the political party platforms are to be provided to each county for placement on the ballot; (2) the format of the platforms; (3) the placement on the ballot [e.g. at the top of the ballot, between federal and state races, at the end of the ballot but before any nonpartisan races, etc.]; or (4) by whom the political party platforms are to be submitted to each county [e.g. from the state political party chair]. Timing of the parties' platform submissions must be prior to the ballot creation. The most advisable deadline for submission would be by the deadline for a candidate to withdraw from the ballot in the Primary (third Tuesday after the close of the filing period, which occurs in February each presidential year--see W. Va. Code 3-5-11(b)(1)). Consider limiting the length of the platforms to cut down on costs to the counties. The longer the ballot, the more it costs the counties.



    Person submitting Fiscal Note: Donald Kersey
    Email Address: dkersey@wvsos.gov