Election cost county $128,357

The city of Pine Bluff will reimburse $33,834.79 to the Jefferson County Election Commission for expenses incurred during the Nov. 3 general election.

The figure was announced at a recent commission meeting.

Each city or incorporated town, under Arkansas law, is required to reimburse the county board of election commissioners in an amount figured by multiplying 50% of the total cost by the fraction of the number of voters from the city or incorporated town casting ballots in each election prepared by the board over the total number of voters casting ballots in each election.

Expenses in Jefferson County totaled $128,357.28, including, but not limited to, $30,682 for election systems and software election programming and support; $26,413.50 for professional services such as election layout, machine preparation and delivery; $8,183 for poll judges; $21,780 for poll workers; $17,802 for support staff; and $682.50 for poll sheriffs.

There were 13,309 votes cast in the Pine Bluff mayoral race won by incumbent Shirley Washington.

Altheimer will reimburse $755.04 after a city council election that drew 297 votes. Sherrill will pay $61.01 (no race listed) and Wabbaseka will pay $299.98 after a city council election in which 118 votes were counted.

The Pine Bluff, Dollarway and Watson Chapel school districts received invoices for direct expenses attributed to their ballots. The Pine Bluff district is billed $987.47, Dollarway $631.38 and Watson Chapel $947.62.

In other commission business from Thursday’s commission meeting, Miranda Johnson was appointed election official for the White Hall School District. Tameka Reed, Sven Hipp and Juan Ventress were appointed as technicians.

The board also approved the minutes of the Nov. 24 meeting, when the general election results were certified. That meeting lasted just 10 minutes.

Thursday’s meeting was the first for Democratic appointee Sharon Hardin, who joins Michael Adam and Stu Soffer on the commission. Hardin takes the position held by Ted Davis, who resigned after the Nov. 3 election.