COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. No.:3502S.03P Bill No.:Perfected SS for SJR 78 Subject:Elections; Constitutional Amendments; Secretary of State Type:Original Date:April 3, 2024Bill Summary:This proposal modifies provisions relating to elections.
FISCAL SUMMARY
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUNDFUND AFFECTEDFY 2025FY 2026FY 2027
General Revenue*
$0 or (More than
$8,000,000)$0$0
Total Estimated Net
Effect on General
Revenue
$0 or (More than
$8,000,000)$0$0
*The potential fiscal impact of “(More than $8,000,000)” would be realized only if a special
election were called by the Governor to submit this joint resolution to voters.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON OTHER STATE FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2025FY 2026FY 2027Total Estimated Net
Effect on Other State
Funds $0$0$0
Numbers within parentheses: () indicate costs or losses. L.R. No. 3502S.03P
Bill No. Perfected SS for SJR 78
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ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2025FY 2026FY 2027Total Estimated Net
Effect on All Federal
Funds $0$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FULL TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE)FUND AFFECTEDFY 2025FY 2026FY 2027Total Estimated Net
Effect on FTE 000
☒ Estimated Net Effect (expenditures or reduced revenues) expected to exceed $250,000 in any
of the three fiscal years after implementation of the act or at full implementation of the act.
☐ Estimated Net Effect (savings or increased revenues) expected to exceed $250,000 in any of
the three fiscal years after implementation of the act or at full implementation of the act.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2025FY 2026FY 2027Local Government*$0$0 $0
*The potential fiscal impact in FY 2025 to local election authorities (reimbursed by the state)
would be realized only if a special election were called by the Governor to submit this joint
resolution to voters. L.R. No. 3502S.03P
Bill No. Perfected SS for SJR 78
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FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
Officials from the Jackson County Election Board, the Platte County Board of Elections, the
St. Louis City Board of Elections, the St. Louis County Board of Elections and the Greene
County Clerk each assume no fiscal impact from the joint resolution.
Officials from Office of the Secretary of State (SOS) assume, each year, a number of joint
resolutions that would refer to a vote of the people a constitutional amendment and bills that
would refer to a vote of the people the statutory issue in the legislation may be considered by the
General Assembly.
Unless a special election is called for the purpose, Joint Resolutions proposing a constitutional
amendment are submitted to a vote of the people at the next general election. Article XII section
2(b) of the Missouri Constitution authorizes the governor to order a special election for
constitutional amendments referred to the people. If a special election is called to submit a Joint
Resolution to a vote of the people, section 115.063.2 RSMo requires the state to pay the costs.
The cost of the special election has been estimated to be $8 million based on the cost of the 2022
primary and general election reimbursements.
The Secretary of State’s office is required to pay for publishing in local newspapers the full text
of each statewide ballot measure as directed by Article XII, Section 2(b) of the Missouri
Constitution and Section 116.230-116.290, RSMo. Funding for this item is adjusted each year
depending upon the election cycle. A new decision item is requested in odd numbered fiscal
years and the amount requested is dependent upon the estimated number of ballot measures that
will be approved by the General Assembly and the initiative petitions certified for the ballot. In
FY 2014, the General Assembly changed the appropriation so that it was no longer an estimated
appropriation.
For the FY25 petitions cycle, the SOS estimates publication costs at $60,000 per page. This
amount is subject to change based on number of petitions received, length of those petitions and
rates charged by newspaper publishers.
The Secretary of State’s office will continue to assume, for the purposes of this fiscal note, that it
should have the full appropriation authority it needs to meet the publishing requirements.
Because these requirements are mandatory, the SOS reserves the right to request funding to meet
the cost of the publishing requirements if the Governor and the General Assembly again change
the amount or continue to not designate it as an estimated appropriation.
Oversight has reflected, in this fiscal note, the state potentially reimbursing local political
subdivisions the cost of having this joint resolution voted on during a special election in fiscal
year 2025. This reflects the decision made by the Joint Committee on Legislative Research that L.R. No. 3502S.03P
Bill No. Perfected SS for SJR 78
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the cost of the elections should be shown in the fiscal note. The next scheduled statewide general
election is in November 2024 (FY 2025). It is assumed the subject within this proposal could be
on this ballot; however, it could also be on a special election called for by the Governor (a
different date). Therefore, Oversight will reflect a potential election cost reimbursement to local
political subdivisions in FY 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT – State GovernmentFY 2025
(10 Mo.)
FY 2026FY 2027GENERAL REVENUETransfer Out - SOS - reimbursement of
local election authority election costs if
a special election is called by the
Governor
$0 or (More
than
$8,000,000)$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
GENERAL REVENUE*
$0 or (More
than
$8,000,000)
$0$0
*The potential fiscal impact of “(More than $8,000,000)” would be realized only if a special
election were called by the Governor to submit this joint resolution to voters.
FISCAL IMPACT – Local GovernmentFY 2025
(10 Mo.)
FY 2026FY 2027LOCAL POLITICAL
SUBDIVISIONS
Local Election Authorities -Transfer In
from SOS - reimbursement to local
election authorities election costs if a
special election is called by the
Governor
$0 or More
than
$8,000,000$0$0
Costs - Local Election Authorities$0 or (More
than
$8,000,000)$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
LOCAL POLITICAL
SUBDIVISIONS$0$0 $0 L.R. No. 3502S.03P
Bill No. Perfected SS for SJR 78
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FISCAL IMPACT – Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.
FISCAL DESCRIPTION
This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, modifies various provisions relating to
elections.
The amendment provides that only citizens of the United States over the age of 18 who are
residents of Missouri and of the political subdivision in which they offer to vote are entitled to
vote at all elections.
This amendment specifies that all elections shall be by paper ballot or by any mechanical method
prescribed by law. Furthermore, voters shall only be entitled to one vote for each issue on the
ballot and the same amount of votes for each office as there are seats to be filled at the election.
Under no circumstance shall a voter be permitted to cast a ballot in a manner that results in the
ranking of candidates for a particular office. This provision does not apply to any nonpartisan
municipal election held in a city that had a ordinance in effect as of November 5, 2024, that
permits voters to cast more than a single vote for each issue or candidate on which such voter is
eligible to vote.
The candidate that receives the greatest number of votes in a political party primary shall be the
only candidate for that political party at the general election. The name of such candidate shall be
placed on the official ballot at the general election, unless removed or replaced as provided by
law. The person receiving the greatest number of votes at the general election shall be declared
the winner. This provision does not apply to any nonpartisan municipal election held in a city
that had a ordinance in effect as of November 5, 2024, that requires a preliminary election at
which more than one candidate advances to a subsequent election.
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not
require additional capital improvements or rental space. L.R. No. 3502S.03P
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SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Office of the Secretary of State
Jackson County Election Board
Platte County Board of Elections
St. Louis City Board of Elections
St. Louis County Board of Elections
Greene County Clerk
Julie MorffRoss StropeDirectorAssistant DirectorApril 3, 2024April 3, 2024