FISCAL NOTE

Senate Bill 370 as introduced would require curbside voting to be made available to electors with disabilities recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act at all polling places beginning with the November 2022 general election cycle. This will increase the statewide election obligations of the county commissions for the November 2022 general election by: (1) an estimated $250,000 for each statewide election held thereafter for at least one additional election official at each curbside polling site; and (2) by an estimated up-front one-time cost of $1.7 million, per the Secretary of State, to purchase electronic poll books for each curbside polling site. This will subsequently increase the obligations of the State General Fund for fiscal year 2023 by approximately $965,000 to reimburse county commissions for half of these expenditures.

In addition, depending upon the rules adopted by the Secretary of State, this bill could further increase the statewide election obligations of the county commissions for the November 2022 general election by up to $9.9 million, per the Secretary of State, if ballot tabulator machines are purchased for each curbside polling site. This will subsequently increase the obligations of the State General Fund in fiscal year 2023 by up to $4.9 million to reimburse county commissions for half of the cost of the tabulator machines.