Election Costs and Budget Planning 101: The Essential Guide

If you’re planning a union or cooperative election, it’s important to consider how much it will cost you. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about budgeting for elections — no matter your organization’s size.

Understanding Election Costs

The overall cost of your election includes all budget line items in addition to hidden costs like fixing errors and adjusting to last-minute changes. These costs can change dramatically based on the election cycle.

Here’s how costs typically break down when budgeting for elections:

• Materials: Any materials involved in facilitating your election, such as marketing and advertising materials, paper ballots, polling booths, and voting machines, will be some of the biggest drivers of cost.
• Staff Time: When considering the cost of running an election, it’s important to account for the time your employees spend on the process. Their time spent managing voting and other election tasks can add up, diverting them from their regular duties.
• Premises: Organizations without a designated headquarters may need to rent out a space for election day.
• Voting services: A managed election service provider will charge you for their services based on your specific project needs.
• Postage: If you’re mailing letters, ballots, or notices, postage will be a necessary expense. Set aside part of your budget to cover any postage costs.
• Additional costs: If you’re running an in-person election, you may need to cover catering and travel costs for volunteers on election day.

Including all the relevant costs in your budget will help you more effectively allocate funds and resources for the election, which is essential for staying within budget.

4 Key Factors Influencing Election Costs

Although financial records from past elections can help you predict some of your costs, it’s important to note that every election will have a different budget. The following factors are some of the most impactful on overall election costs:

1. Election Method

The way your members vote is one of the most important factors in your election costs:

• Paper ballots: While paper ballots are still incredibly popular with voters across all demographics, the costs associated with printing and mailing them make mail-in voting one of the costliest election methods. In-person voting using paper ballots can be even more costly due to the rental space and potentially large number of volunteers required.
• Hybrid: In a hybrid election, all members have the option of voting via either a mail-in ballot or an online voting system. This method also tends to be costlier because many organizations choose to send paper ballots to all members, even if most choose to vote online.
• Partial Hybrid: This subtype of hybrid voting sends online voting instructions to all members with an email address on file and paper ballots to any who did not provide an email address. Because it only gives paper ballots to part of your membership, it can save some of the costs associated with traditional voting.
• Online: Exclusively online elections are typically the most cost-effective method because they eliminate material and shipping costs. 

2. Frequency and Timing

How often does your organization conduct elections? Consolidating your elections could cut down on your expenses. For example,  if an organization knwos it will hvawe a bylaw amendment, it could combine it with its annual election, which would save a considerable amount if time and resources compared to running them separately.

You can also use voting habits to cut costs. For example, you could send text messages and email reminders early in your voting process. Once the early votes are in, send reminder letters or postcards only to voters who have yet to vote, to reduce your postage and supply costs.

3. Material Costs

Economic shifts can cause the material costs of paper, rent and voting machines to fluctuate. While inflation can increase costs slightly, other fluctuations can lead to larger expenses. Postage might dramatically increase in costs one year, while your supplies might be more expensive during a different quarter. Changing resource costs can impact your estimates and cause you to go over budget.

Properly researching market conditions and price increases can help you create the most accurate budget for your upcoming election.

4. Unexpected Costs

Cooperative elections can be hectic, especially when things happen during your planning process that you don’t anticipate.

For example, if you misprint a paper ballot or a candidate drops out of the race at the last minute, you’ll need to reprint the ballots with the correct information. If you already sent out all your ballots, you’ll need to pay to send new ones out.

Taking some time to brainstorm alternative courses of action for surprises like these can help you avoid going too far over budget by providing a cost-effective backup plan. If you need to purchase additional paper to reprint ballots after a last-minute change to the candidates, having a supplier already lined up can help you avoid delays and secure the most affordable materials before you need them.

How to Budget for Elections

A well-planned budget is essential for a smooth election process. Here are some helpful tips you can use to help you keep your next election within your budget:

• Plan for every situation: Whether everything goes perfectly or you end up with the worst-case scenario, having backup plans in place can help you keep your costs fairly low in the event something affects your original plan.
• Research costs: While planning your election, take some extra time to look up all the potential costs you might need to consider. This step can help you determine the best voting method for your organization and save you valuable time down the road.
• Choose the right voting method: While going digital is one of the most effective ways to reduce election costs, you might need to invest in a hybrid or paper-based election to accommodate your members. Ultimately, the most cost-effective voting method is the one that helps you get the highest possible turnout. 

Working with an experienced elections consultant is another great way to cut costs, as they can often guide you toward money-saving solutions that fit your organization’s specific needs. For example, an elections expert can suggest voting methods that provide value for your members without extending your election period.

Effectively Budget for Election Costs With Survey & Ballot Systems

Whether you want total control over your election or you’d prefer to take advantage of our fully managed voting services, Survey & Ballot Systems is here to help you find the most cost-effective solution for your organization. 

We provide voting solutions for organizations of all types, from churches and religious groups to professional associations in various industries. When you partner with us, you get access to a team that’s dedicated to your individual project, so you always have the support you need.

Choose a solution that makes budgeting for elections easy. Contact us today to learn more about our election solutions for member-based organizations.