LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[First Reprint]
SENATE, No. 3617
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
DATED: JANUARY 14, 2025
SUMMARY
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Synopsis: |
Requires county clerks to send applications for mail-in ballots to registered voters upon their 18th birthday. |
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Type of Impact: |
Annual State expenditure increase; annual county expenditure increase; annual county revenue increase. |
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Agencies Affected: |
Department of the State; counties. |
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Office of Legislative Services Estimate |
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Fiscal Impact |
Annual |
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Annual State Expenditure Increase |
About $86,000 |
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Annual County Expenditure Increase |
About $86,000 plus staff time |
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Annual County Revenue Increase |
About $86,000 |
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· The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that requiring county clerks to send applications for mail-in ballots to registered voters upon their 18th birthday would result in annual county expenditure increases of about $86,000 for mailing costs. Counties may also need to dedicate additional staff time to ensure accurate and timely mailing of applications.
· The State would incur annual costs of about $86,000 to reimburse counties for these expenditures. These reimbursements would represent revenue increases for the counties.
BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill requires county clerks to send applications for mail-in ballots to registered voters upon their 18th birthday. The State will reimburse the county clerks for the cost of mailing a standard two-ounce piece of first-class mail per mail-in ballot application.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS concludes that requiring county clerks to send applications for mail-in ballots to registered voters upon their 18th birthday would result in annual county expenditure increases of about $86,000 for mailing costs. The estimate is based on 2023 American Community Survey data, from which the OLS calculates that a cohort of approximately 121,000 individuals turn 18 each year in the State. This number will vary somewhat from year to year due to demographic changes. Assuming these individuals register to vote at the same rate as the eligible voting population in the State (70.5 percent), about 85,000 applications for mail-in ballots would be sent annually. Currently, the United States Postal Service sets the mailing rate of a standard two-ounce piece of first-class mail at $1.01, resulting in an annual cost of approximately $86,000 across all counties. Counties may also need to dedicate additional staff time to ensure accurate and timely mailing of applications.
The State will incur annual costs of about $86,000 to reimburse counties for these expenditures. These reimbursements would represent revenue increases for the counties.
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Section: |
State Government |
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Analyst: |
Assistant Fiscal Analyst |
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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.).