Between its two elections, Statesville is on the hook to Iredell County for a total of $20,695, the Board of Elections office announced earlier this week.
About one-third of that amount — $6,869 — was the cost of the run-off election between At-Large Councilman John Gregory and challenger Gene Houpe.
A total of 3,243 people voted in the two elections — 1,680 in the Oct. 6 election and 1,563 in the Nov. 3 run-off — which means the city is paying about $6.38 per vote.
"It's a shame more people don't vote in these elections," said Becky Galliher, director of the Iredell County Board of Elections. "Because the cities and towns bear the financial responsibility for for these municipal elections, and no matter how many people vote, the cost stays the same."
Galliher said her board has to go into each election with the assumption that every single registered voter is actually going to vote.
"We are not allowed to base it on how many we think will vote or how many people voted in past elections," Galliher said. "We have to be prepared for the entire municipality, for every person who has the right to vote is going to exercise that right."
At the time of the elections, Statesville had 15,575 registered voters. That means that between the two elections, only 10.4 percent of those people filled out an election ballot.
And while Statesville's cost-per-vote may seem high, the city actually got out relatively cheap.
The price tag on Mooresville's election was $14,369, which broke down to about $7.29 for each of the 1,972 voters who participated there.
Troutman's elections costs were $1,597 — or $8.54 for each of the 187 ballots.
Harmony's election costs of $1,198 breaks down to $23.04 for each of the 52 ballots cast there.
And in Love Valley, where 34 of the town's 83 registered voters took part, the town will have to reimburse the county $1,059, or $31.15 per voter.
The costs in each of these elections was reduced by the amount the county received in filing fees, which were $5 per candidate. For example, Statesville saved $70 because 14 people filed for seats on the city council.
Galliher said the municipalities only pay for elections involving their respective governing bodies. So they are not billed for elections in even-numbered years.
Galliher said she is "already gearing up" for next year's elections. She said the filing period for the elections — which includes seats on the Iredell County Board of Commissioners and the sheriff's office — runs from Feb. 8 to Feb. 26.
"It'll be here in no time,"she said.
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