LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[Second Reprint]
SENATE, No. 598
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
DATED: JUNE 29, 2021
SUMMARY
Synopsis: |
Raises pay for election workers to $400 per day or State minimum wage, whichever is greater; appropriates $5,000,000 to Department of State. |
Type of Impact: |
Expenditure increase to the State General Fund. |
Agencies Affected: |
Division of Elections, Department of State. |
Fiscal Impact |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
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State Cost Increase |
Approximately $13.6 million |
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· The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that increasing the State’s reimbursement of the payment to election workers by $200 per day will increase costs to the Division of Elections in the Department of State by approximately $13.6 million per election depending on the number of hours the poll workers actually work on Election Day and the type of election (i.e. primary, general, or special election).
BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill increases the compensation of election
workers from $200 per day to $400 per day. Under current law, election workers
are paid $200 per day each time the primary election, the general election, or
any special election is held. The State reimburses $125 of the payment to
election workers while the counties account for the rest. This bill increases
the State’s reimbursement from $125 per day to $325 per day while keeping the
counties sum at $75. The bill also increases from $14.29 to $19.64 the maximum
hourly rate that district board members may receive for serving at a school
election.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS estimates that increasing the State’s reimbursement of the payment to election workers by $200 per day will increase costs to the Division of Elections in the Department of State by approximately $13.6 million per election depending on the number of hours the poll workers actually work on Election Day and the type of election (i.e. primary, general, or special election). This increase will bring the costs for early voting and election day poll workers from approximately $16.1 million to $29.7 million per election.
Section: |
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Analyst: |
Lead Fiscal Analyst |
Approved: |
Thomas Koenig Legislative Budget and Finance Officer |
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).