Double elections are set for this coming June, with more staff working overtime, consequently resulting in higher costs for the state.
The total cost of the European Parliament elections and the Local Government elections scheduled for 9th June is estimated to be around €7 million.
The same amount was spent on both rounds of last year’s presidential elections. However, 50% of the expenses will cover overtime pay for staff from the public and wider public sector, as they will be required to count six different types of ballots, each of which will be a different colour.
In this year’s double elections, the cost for employing public sector workers will amount to €3.5 million. In the 2023 presidential elections, the wage bill for public and wider public sector employees nationwide was €3.1 million. Additionally, €80,520 was spent on employing the unemployed. Comparing this year’s overtime expenses for government employees with the 2021 parliamentary elections, the costs have tripled. Back then, the cost was €1.3 million and €80,520 for the unemployed.
Total Expenses
In detail, according to data from the Ministry of Interior’s budget, the €7 million will be spent as follows:
- A total of €4.5 million will cover the overtime work of public sector employees and police officers. Of this, €3.5 million is for overtime pay for government employees who will work on election preparation and staffing of polling stations.
- €1 million will be spent on overtime for police officers who will police the polling stations and patrol all cities and communities.
- €500,000 will cover the printing of ballots and other election materials at the Government Printing Office.
- €600,000 will be spent on publishing election notifications in newspapers.
- The campaign to encourage new voter registration on electoral rolls, as well as efforts to reduce voter abstention, cost €300,000.
- The operation of polling stations abroad will cost €350,000.
- A sum of €250,000 will be allocated by the IT Services Department for the computerisation of the electoral roll, election result processing programmes, visualisation, and presentation of results online.
- Another €200,000 will be spent on stationery and other consumable materials.
- €150,000 will cover expenses for the Public Works Department and the Electromechanical Department for various construction works.
- €150,000 has been budgeted for other unforeseen expenses.
