Upstate counties are getting a clearer idea of how much South Carolina’s Republican Presidential Primary will cost their taxpayers. Spartanburg County Voter Registration Director Henry Laye says his estimate now is that the Republican Presidential Primary will cost the county about $55,000 (significantly lower than his original projection of $106,000).
He still believes the state should reimburse the county for overtime for poll workers (since the election will be held on a Saturday), cost of fuel involved in dropping off and picking up voting machines at the precincts (about $1200), and maintenance and testing of voting machines. Laye says he had budgeted for these expenses. Oconee County’s Voter Registration Office did not, according to the chairman of that county’s Board of Elections. Hence the office’s request to Oconee County Council for $10,000.
“We thought either the state or the Republican Party would cover the whole cost of this election,” said Robert Brock, chair of Oconee County’s Board of Elections. County council will vote on the expense at a meeting later this month. The statewide cost of ballots, poll workers, data processing and other expenses related to the Jan. 21 primary is expected to total about $1.5 million, according to state election commission spokesman Chris Whitmire.
But the commission currently has only about $1 million to cover those costs. That amount includes more $800,000 set aside by the legislature and $180,000 in filing fees from the nine GOP candidates whose names will appear on the ballot.
The Elections Commission is not sure where the remaining half-million dollars will come from. They are hoping a state budget panel or legislators will solve the cash crunch before bills start stacking up later this month when counties submit their reimbursements.
Full Article: SC Counties Tally Up Cost of Republican Primary | WSPA.