FAYETTEVILLE — Despite 2010 being a general election year without a presidential race, the Washington County Election Commission has asked for and received approval to get more funds next year than it did in 2008.
Speaking to the county Quorum Court BudgetCommittee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, election commission Chairman John Logan Burrow explained why 2010 could be an ever bigger election year than 2008, the last time the county held a general election.
"We do think that next year is going to be one of the biggest general election years we've ever had," Burrow said. "We thinkthe United States Senate race held next year is going to be super-intense statewide and probably, at least in one of the parties, there is going to be a runoff election, and there's also potential in that potential nominating race for a runoff in the Democratic primary for secretary of state.
"We also have two statewide judicial races andtwo circuit court races in our county that are going to attract an awful lot of participation. And as the numbers of voters go up, then the actual cost of the election goes up."
Burrow was referring to the U.S. Senate race for the position currently held by Democrat Blanche Lincoln as a main reason for the election commission asking for a larger budgetin 2010. Lincoln is seeking re-election, with another seven candidates already announcing their plans to run in the Republican Party along with Trevor Drown seeking election as an independent.
"It's hard for me to imagine that with so many candidates there's not going to be a runoff," Burrow said. "And these things incrementallyincrease our total election costs.
"There's 57 polling places, and we have to open them up every time we have an election."
The election commission received a total budget of $480,723.39 in 2008, according to Washington County Election Coordinator Jennifer Price.The 2008 budget was well above the $166,499 budgeted for elections in 2009, but that was due to this year not having a general election.
With the U.S. Senate race expected to create at least one runoff and possibly another following the general election, however, the commission proposed a budget of $542,544 in 2010. That amount was unanimously accepted by the budget committee Monday.
The increase from 2009 also includes an addition of an off-site early voting location in west Fayetteville and also a request for 12 additional touch-screen voting machines.
"At some point we would like to add another off-site location for early voting to relieve some of the pressure onthe courthouse," Burrow said, "because we're still getting some 15,000 to 17,000 voters coming through the courthouse voting in the early-voting procedure and early voting is getting to be more and more popular."
While Burrow stated that more voter turnout leads to higher election costs, it seems unlikely that the 2010 general election would produce the same turnout as was seen during the 2008 election, when a presidential race was on the ballot. But Burrow said the added expenses come into play when the county has to hold more and more runoff elections, not just because a presidential race draws high voter turnout.
"We anticipate a larger number of elections in 2010," Burrow said.
"Because what typically happens is cities declare special elections in major election years with more frequency than at other times."
News, Pages 1, 5 on 09/30/2009