Amendment 84 / Initiative 362
The costs,
in full.
State and local spending, the county share and its reimbursement, a possible business-fee source, and the review work behind the estimate. Estimates, not guarantees.
Our explanation · Sources checked October 6, 2026
State and local spending.
The Blue Book estimates the measure will increase state and local spending by up to $2.7 million in the initial 2026–27 budget year and about $1.2 million annually in future years. A driver of the cost is that election judges must review the identification numbers voters provide. These are estimates of added spending, not a guarantee.
| Budget year | State and local spending |
|---|---|
| 2026–27 | Up to $2.7m |
| Future years | About $1.2m annually |
Fiscal estimate, not a guarantee. The state and local total includes the county costs described on the next question.
Check the original, page 26The figures are the Legislative Council Staff fiscal estimate, not a guaranteed appropriation. The state and local total includes the county costs in the next section.
Read the Blue Book fiscal estimate, page 26 What will it cost the state and local government?County costs and reimbursement.
The Blue Book estimates the measure would increase county spending by up to $2.5 million in the 2026–27 budget year and up to $1.2 million in future years. About 45 percent of those county costs would be reimbursed by the state government.
| Budget year | County cost | State reimbursement |
|---|---|---|
| 2026–27 | Up to $2.5m | About 45% reimbursed |
| Future years | Up to $1.2m | About 45% reimbursed |
Fiscal estimate, not a guarantee. The reimbursement is the state’s estimated share of the added county cost.
Check the original, page 26Counties run the clerk and recorder offices that verify ballots, so they carry most of the added review work. The state would reimburse an estimated 45 percent of the added county cost.
What do counties pay, and how much is reimbursed?Covering it with business filing fees.
The Blue Book notes that business filing fees may need to be raised to cover all or some of the costs of the measure. The state does not currently have the money in its business-fee fund to fully offset the added spending, so a fee change is one possible source of the funds.
Raising fees would shift some of the cost to the business-fee fund instead of the general budget. Whether that happens is an implementation decision, not a provision in the filed text.
Could the cost be covered by business filing fees?The extra work behind the estimate.
Election judges must review the identification numbers voters provide, which the Blue Book says will increase staffing hours and overtime during elections. That added verification work is a main driver of the state and local cost estimate.
The added review of identification numbers is the main driver of the state and local cost estimate. It sits on top of the existing signature review.
What extra work does the measure create?