The implementation of vote centers and new equipment has sent the price of Dallas County elections soaring for local entities such as Garland ISD.

When approving the call for the May 6 election that will include two trustee races and a $1.2 billion bond package, Board Secretary Mechelle Hogan said the cost would be $242,000. Compared to the cost of the 2021 election with three trustee races, which was $175,000, a 38% increase occurred.

Hogan said this fits into a larger trend within Dallas County because of an emphasis on local vote centers in addition to new voting equipment and software to satisfy statutory requirements.

“Since COVID, the cost for elections has quadrupled for a lot of our Dallas County participants,” Hogan said. 

Initially, the plan was to have the county absorb the upfront cost, spreading it out among local election entities, such as Garland ISD, over several years. However, a change in the Dallas County election administrator shifted the policy to have the local entities pay as they go, which has led to sharper increases over the past few years.

Before the new equipment, Garland ISD regularly paid between $50,000 and $70,000, said Hogan, adding that the cost skyrocketed to above $430,000 the first year new voting equipment was introduced. Because of the one-year high, she now budgets around $500,000 for elections on an annual basis.

“Once it leveled out from the first year, the $432,000 was the worst-case scenario,” Hogan said. “Because of that, I project $500,000 per year in election costs. Whenever it is below that, I give myself a high-five.”

As the third-largest election entity in Dallas County, GISD typically boasts one of the heftier election bills despite being well below the $1 million the city of Dallas pays for an election. Dallas ISD, the largest school district in Dallas County, is approaching the $1 million mark for its elections too, Hogan said.

For the full story, see the March 30 issue of The Sachse News.