Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AGENCY
                OFFICE OF FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS
                                    200 W. Washington St., Suite 301
                                         Indianapolis, IN 46204
                                             (317) 233-0696
                                                iga.in.gov
                                FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
LS 6907                                                          NOTE PREPARED: Dec 29, 2020
BILL NUMBER: HB 1133                                             BILL AMENDED:
SUBJECT: Vote by Mail.
FIRST AUTHOR: Rep. Boy                                           BILL STATUS: As Introduced
FIRST SPONSOR:
FUNDS AFFECTED: X GENERAL                                        IMPACT: State & Local
                  DEDICATED
                  FEDERAL
Summary of Legislation: Vote by Mail– The bill requires that all elections be conducted by mail beginning
with elections in 2024. The bill provides for the January 1, 2024, expiration of several provisions of the
election code that will be obsolete under a vote by mail system.
Interim Study– The bill requires the Interim Study Committee on Elections to study the transition to a vote
by mail system and propose necessary legislation to accomplish the transition.
Effective Date: July 1, 2021.
Explanation of State Expenditures: Vote by Mail– The Election Division would see a small savings in
administrative time and expense by no longer needing to print the “Absentee Voters’ Bill of Rights.”
However, the Division would likely see a minor temporary increase in workload to file 46 additional vote
center county plans over the next four state fiscal years.
Interim Study– If the Interim Study Committee on Elections were to hold additional meetings to address this
topic, there would be additional expenditures for legislator per diem and travel reimbursement for the
committee members. Any additional expenditures must be within the committee’s budget, which is
established by the Legislative Council.
Explanation of State Revenues:
Explanation of Local Expenditures: Vote by Mail– It is estimated this provision would increase county
expenditures over the three years of implementation (CY 2021 to CY 2024). The data are not available to
HB 1133                                             1
provide a precise estimate, and there are many varying factors based on future county actions to consider in
estimating the expenditure impact. However, based on determined averages for precinct cost decreases and
e-poll book cost increases, the bill is estimated to increase aggregate county expenditures by $2.2 M.
In future years, it is possible counties could experience a savings from the elimination of the precinct election
process after paying off their electronic poll books, depending on the number of ballots they would need to
produce and the number of vote centers and staff levels they choose to operate within future election years.
Additional Information– Counties without electronic poll books would have to purchase them, which would
be the largest component of the expenditures. The expenditure impact would depend on the number of vote
centers established per their vote center development plans and the number of e-poll books purchased.
(Under current law, at a minimum, a county may establish vote centers for no more than 10,000 registered
voters per center, although counties have adopted plans for less than 3,000 registered voters per vote center.)
The estimate is based upon the number of e-poll books used per 2020 registered voter totals in each county
that used them. The statewide average was approximately 2,000 registered voters per e-poll book in the
counties that currently have them.
Other considerations to the impact are the removal of existing precincts, which would generate a savings,
and establishment of central count locations in every county, which would likely have additional minimal
savings, given most counties are already central count counties.
Further cost factors include payment of vote center staff and couriers needed to pick up ballots from the lock
boxes placed throughout the counties for voters to deposit their ballots prior to election day.
Costs could be reduced by rental of electronic poll books. However, over time the cost of continuous rental
would overtake the initial purchase price of the poll books.
Explanation of Local Revenues:
State Agencies Affected: General Assembly; Election Division.
Local Agencies Affected: Counties.
Information Sources: VSTOP; Indiana Election Division website: various county vote center plans;
Legislative Council Resolution 20-03.
Fiscal Analyst: Chris Baker, 317-232-9851.
HB 1133                                                2
Statutes affected: 
1. Introduced House Bill (H): 3-5-8-2.5, 3-6-6-5.5, 3-6-8-7, 3-7-29-2, 3-7-29-3, 3-7-29-4, 3-10-8-7.5, 3-11-3-3, 3-11-8-2, 3-11-8-3, 3-11-8-3.1, 3-11-8-3.2, 3-11-8-4.3, 3-11-8-6, 3-11-8-17, 3-11-9-1, 3-11-18.1-1, 3-11-18.1-3, 3-11-18.1-8, 3-11.5-3-1, 3-11.5-4-1, 3-11.5-4-5, 3-11.5-4-6, 3-11.5-4-8, 3-11.5-4-9, 3-11.5-4-10, 3-11.5-4-11, 3-11.5-4-12, 3-11.5-4-13, 3-11.5-4-15, 3-11.5-4-16, 3-11.5-4-18, 3-11.5-4-21, 3-11.5-4-21.5, 3-11.5-4-22, 3-11.5-4-23, 3-11.5-4-24, 3-11.5-5-3, 3-11.5-5-14, 3-11.5-6-3, 3-11.5-6-4, 3-11.5-6-5, 3-11.5-6-14, 3-11.5-6-17, 3-11.5-6-21, 3-11.5-7-1, 3-11.7-3-6, 3-12-1-13, 3-12-2-1, 3-12-3-5