The Ohio Senate allocated $15 million for the Aug. 8 special election because it was unexpected and BOEs had not budgeted for it. Statehouse Republicans, who had done away with most special elections in 2022, backtracked and created the Aug. 8 election, asking Ohioans to change some rules for changing Ohio’s Constitution. Ohio voters rejected it.
The $15 million was intended to cover costs associated with the special election, including compensation for board of elections workers.
The Greene County Board of Elections received about $217,000 to cover election costs, and is expected to return $76,000 to the state. Members of the board were divided last week along party lines on how — or if — to spend the remaining money.
Democratic members of the board put forth a motion during the board’s Sept. 4 meeting to award bonuses to the county’s election workers: $2,000 for full-time employees, and $1,000 for seasonal employees.
The measure would have been just under $30,000 of the $76,000 surplus, said Democratic board member Kim McCarthy.
The motion died for lack of consensus after Democrats voted two in favor, and Republicans voted two against, according to those present from both parties.
McCarthy added that she put the motion forward because of the chaotic past two years in Ohio elections. Aside from the reversal of the August election decision, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected two congressional maps and five sets of Statehouse maps deemed unconstitutional in 2022, delaying part of that election from May to August.
“These employees have been working hard for two years in a row,” she said. “I come from the corporate world, where bonuses are a standard part of doing business. This was a unique opportunity to thank our employees, and help inject a little extra money to the people of Greene County.”
Republican board member Jan Basham said she voted against the motion because she felt it was not a good use of taxpayer dollars.
“I feel that the employees have an agreement with their employer for a certain amount of pay and overtime. I feel that the money that we were provided with the grant is taxpayer money, so I voted that it go back (to the state),” Basham said.
The bonuses were the last possible expense tied to the Aug. 8 election, so when the motion failed, by law, the remainder of the money was returned to the state.
Warren County election officials said they received $233,846 from the state to cover all expenses for the August election. The only thing the money did not cover is regular full-time salaries, said Brian Sleeth, Warren County director of elections.
The Montgomery County Board of Elections did not respond to a request for comment on this topic.
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