Donald Palmer, secretary of the State Board of Elections, said Thursday that a split precinct requires a new voting machine, new signage and informational guides about the new precinct.
The legislative redistricting plan adopted by the General Assembly could cost state and local governments $5 million because of the large number of split precincts, the Senate Finance Committee has been told.
Donald Palmer, secretary of the State Board of Elections, said Thursday that a split precinct requires a new voting machine, new signage and informational guides about the new precinct. This costs about$25,000 for each precinct, he said.
The House of Delegates plan has 109 split precincts and the Senate plan 115, Palmer said.
Federal funding through the Help America Vote Act could defray a small portion of the cost, Palmer said.
The rest likely will be absorbed by localities, said Lawrence C. Haake III, the Chesterfield County registrar who is president of the Voter Registrars Association of Virginia.
"It's another unfunded mandate from the General Assembly to the localities," he said during a telephone conversation.
Members of the Finance Committee did not comment on Palmer's presentation.
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