A state auditor’s report has uncovered sloppy bookkeeping and overpayments to staff at the Cumberland County Election Commission office.
Between May 1, 2006, and Nov. 30, 2008, the election commission overpaid some of its officials during early voting sessions, the Tennessee Comptroller’s Division of County Audits found.
The overpayments were one of several deficiencies noted in the audit, which was released today. Auditors noted several instances in which election officials were paid $100 per day when the maximum pay rate for that work was set at $80 per day, according to a comptroller news release.
The audit also revealed the election office did not supply adequate information to Cumberland County’s finance office about other payments to election workers.
The election office failed to provide details about the locations where some election workers worked, the days and hours they worked and their rates of pay, the audit states.
Auditors also found that more than $10,000 in election-related expenses were misclassified in the finance office’s records and meeting minutes were not available for some meetings of the Cumberland County Election Commission.
“I am very proud of the work our auditors have done in bringing these deficiencies to light,” Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said. “I trust Cumberland County officials will take the appropriate steps to prevent these types of problems from recurring in the future.”