1. (a) "Administrative Personnel" means a non-election-day worker.
2. (b) The employment of administrative personnel is not required for the conduct of the primary elections.
3. (c) Pursuant to §81.114 of this chapter (relating to Conflicts of Interest), no member of the county chair's family may be paid an administrative salary from primary funds.
4. (d) If administrative personnel are utilized, salaries or wages for such personnel are payable from the primary fund for a period beginning no earlier than November 1, 2013, and ending no later than the last day of the month in which the primary election or runoff primary election, if applicable, is held.
5. (e) If the county chair contracts with third parties or the county election officer for election services, the overall administrative personnel costs to be submitted to the SOS for reimbursement cannot include administrative expenses provided by third parties or a county election officer. (Administrative personnel costs include, but are not limited to, polling location services, ballot ordering, and secretarial services.)
6. (f) The SOS may disallow full payment for administrative personnel if it is determined that the contracting county election officer substantially performed the conduct of the election.
7. (g) Other administrative costs chargeable to the primary fund are items such as administrative personnel, office rental, telephone and utilities, office furniture and equipment rental, computer purchase, office supplies, bank fees, election law books, and other miscellaneous expenses.
8. (h) The 83rd Legislature did not increase funding for primary elections; county chairs are encouraged to budget administrative costs accordingly.
9. (i) In addition to the limitations set forth in the Texas statutes and Subchapters F and G of this chapter of the Texas Administrative Code, including but not limited to §§81.127, 81.128, and 81.129 of this chapter (relating to Office Equipment and Supplies, Telephone and Postage Charges, and Office Rental), the funding caps illustrated in Figure: 1 TAC§81.123(i) apply to the total administrative expenses a county chair may charge to the primary fund.
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10. (j) County chairs may request through the online primary finance system compensation for eligible administrative costs beyond the limitations set forth in Figure: 1 TAC §81.123(i). After the SOS concludes it has received a sufficient number of final cost reports and sufficient funding is available, the SOS will distribute amendment payments that are deemed reasonable.

Source Note:The provisions of this §81.123 adopted to be effective December 13, 2009, 34 TexReg 8665; amended to be effective March 7, 2012, 37 TexReg 1483; amended to be effective January 9, 2014, 39 TexReg 209.