State Board of Elections
The enacted budget makes no changes to the Executive Budget (analysis as of April 3, 2007).
The Senate recommends (analysis as of March 16, 2007):
- Cuts $1.5 million in the Department’s State Operations budget; the entire cut is due to the elimination of the proposed new Investigations of Campaign Financing Program which would have employed 21 new FTEs.
The 21-day amendments to the Executive Budget recommend the following changes (analysis as of February 22, 2007):
- Adds a $5 million appropriation of federal funds to the Regulation of Elections program for a new Help America Vote Act Implementation fund. This funding is for services and expenses related to the development of a statewide master plan for the testing and certification of voting machines. It is a lump sum appropriation which can be used for personal services, contractual services, or other non-personal service purposes.
The Executive Budget recommends (analysis as of February 6, 2007):
A FY 2007-08 workforce of 83 FTEs. This is an increase of 21 FTEs from the adjusted FTE level for FY 2006-07. The following chart identifies adjustments in the current fiscal year’s FTEs along with the recommended differences in FY 2007-08 FTEs by program (if the FTE’s are the same the program is not listed):
Program
FY 2006-07 Adjustment
FY 2007-08 Difference
Investigations of Campaign Financing
0
21
- The total appropriation for Personal Service is $4.45 million, a 42.3% increase from SFY 2006-07.
- An All Funds increase of $10.9 million, (224%) from SFY 2006-07. This reflects an $8 million appropriation for the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and a $1.5 million new appropriation for the Investigations of Campaign Financing Program. The SFY 2006-07 All Funds appropriation does not include a recommended $3.8 million deficiency appropriation proposed by the Executive in separate Deficiency Budget legislation. This appropriation is proposed to fund unanticipated costs associated with the certification of voting machines. It is anticipated that the costs will be fully reimbursed by vendors.
- According to the Assembly, the new Investigations of Campaign Financing Program will investigate campaign finance filing enforcement requirements. 21 FTEs are added for this purpose.
- Nonpersonal Services in the Regulation of Elections Program is increased by $781,000, all in Contractual Services. The senate and Assembly attribute $750,000 of this increase to operational costs for the Statewide Voter Registration Database which is scheduled to be active in May 2007.
- A $600,000 appropriation for the Voting Machine Examinations Account in the Regulation of Elections program, a $400,000 increase over the SFY2006-07 appropriation. The Assembly Ways and Means Committee notes that this increase is for contractual services related to certification for HAVA compliant machines.
- The $8 million appropriation for HAVA is necessary for the State to draw down Federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) dollars.
- The Executive Budget shows that the State Board of Elections employed an estimated 22 employees under consultant contracts in SFY 2006-07 at an estimated cost of $9.5 million or an average cost of $431,818 per consultant contract employee. It is estimated that the number of employees employed under consultant contracts will stay the same in SFY 2007-08. Consultant contract employees will be paid $7.1 million in SFY 2007-08 or an average cost of $322,727 per consultant contract employee, a 25% decrease. The purpose and use of these contract employees and whether they can be replaced by state employees should be clarified at statewide labor management.
State Board of Elections Program Details-State Operations Enacted Proposed Enacted Change in Percent Program 2006-07 Budget 2007-08 Budget 2007-08 Budget Appropriation Change All Funds $4,888,000 $20,830,000 $20,830,000 $15,942,000 326.1% General Fund $4,688,000 $7,230,000 $7,230,000 $2,542,000 54.2% Special Revenue-Federal $0 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 100.0% Special Revenue-Other $200,000 $8,600,000 $8,600,000 $8,400,000 4200.0% Personal Services $3,130,000 $4,454,000 $4,454,000 $1,324,000 42.3% Contractual Services $10,636,000 $10,636,000 Investigations of Campaign Financing Pgm $0 $1,500,000 $1,500,000 $1,500,000 100.0% Personal Service $0 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 Regular $1,000,000 $1,000,000 Nonpersonal Service $0 $500,000 $500,000 Supplies and materials $100,000 $100,000 Travel $50,000 $50,000 Contractual Services $250,000 $250,000 Equipment $100,000 $100,000 Regulation of Elections $4,888,000 $14,330,000 $14,330,000 $9,442,000 193.2% Personal Service $3,130,000 $3,454,000 $3,454,000 $324,000 10.4% Regular $3,429,000 $3,429,000 Temporary service $17,000 $17,000 Holiday/overtime compensation $8,000 $8,000 Nonpersonal Service $1,558,000 $2,276,000 $2,276,000 $718,000 46.1% Supplies and materials $150,000 $150,000 Travel $106,000 $106,000 Contractual Services $1,786,000 $1,786,000 Equipment $234,000 $234,000 Special Revenue-Federal $0 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 100.0% Special Revenue-Other $200,000 $8,600,000 $8,600,000 $8,400,000 4200.0% Help America Vote Act Implementation Acct - (SRF) $0 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 100.0% Voting Machine Examinations Acct - (SRO) $200,000 $600,000 $600,000 $400,000 200.0% Nonpersonal Service $600,000 $600,000 Contractual Services $600,000 $600,000 Help America Vote Act Acct - (SRO) $0 $8,000,000 $8,000,000 $8,000,000 100.0% Nonpersonal Service $8,000,000 $8,000,000 Contractual Services $8,000,000 $8,000,000