KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – Runoff elections tend to have significantly lower voter turnout than the general election. Still, despite fewer people showing up, the city still has to pay a pretty penny to conduct them.
According to the City of Kyle, it costs them thousands of dollars.
Previous cost of runoff elections:
- December 2020: $ 21,544.91
- December 2021: $ 12,963.41
Hays County Elections Administrator Jennifer Doinoff said the cost can go up or down depending on early voting.
She said the more early voting sites there are, the higher the cost. In December 2020, there were three early voting sites and three election day sites for the runoff.
Doinoff said in 2021, that number went down to one early voting and two election day sites which brought down the cost.
Even though turnout was low this year, voters like Tracy Scheel came because of the impact she said local elections have on her life.
“The city council is very important for the City of Kyle. It determines the, you know, the roads, your infrastructure, your parks, your amenities, all the fun you want to do in the city. They also are responsible for your property taxes, you know, a portion of that property tax,” Scheel said.
Scheel said when she came to vote there was barely anyone else there. She hopes that changes for future runoff elections.
“This is more important here to your daily life than the state is okay, to your daily life. This is more important,” Scheel said.
City officials said they don’t expect to get an invoice for this runoff election until January. Doinoff said she expects it to be around the same cost as last year’s runoff.
