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| SPONSOR: | Sandoval | DATE TYPED: | 02/05/01 | HB | 510 | ||
| SHORT TITLE: | Increased Costs of 2000 Election | SB | |||||
| ANALYST: | Woodlee | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY01 | FY02 | FY01 | FY02 | ||
| $ 413.5 | Recurring | General Fund | |||
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Secretary of State
LFC Files
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 510 appropriates $413.5 from the general fund to the Secretary of State for the purpose of covering a budget shortfall due to increased costs of the 2000 primary and general elections. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Significant Issues
In FY01, the agency received $644.4 in operating costs to cover election expenses, such as printing and advertising. The agency indicates that an increase in registered voters and, thus, increases in election materials needed has led to the shortfall of $413.5. In addition, the agency indicates that some 2000 primary election expenses, which should fall in the FY00, had to be paid with the current operating budget. The agency received the bills after the July 1, 2000 date. The expenditures for the 2000 primary were not anticipated in the FY01 operating budget appropriation.
According to the agency, voter registration increased by 6.7 percent, or 61,484 voters, from the 1998 election to the 2000 election. Election supplies and materials are ordered based on a percentage of the total number of registered voters. In addition, the agency has to deal with new elections, such as the Public Regulation Commission, which is relatively new. In addition, with the entire legislature up for election in 2000, the number of candidates and the expenses related to campaign reporting was higher than the 1998 general election.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $413.5 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of 2001 shall revert to the general fund. The bill also contains an emergency clause.
MW/ar