Dougherty County receives $300,000 grant to install, monitor ballot drop boxes

ALBANY — Dougherty County taxpayers will be spared the costs of expanded voting through additional ballot drop boxes at three locations with the awarding of a $300,000 grant received to provide assistance for the 2020 election.

The grant came through the Center for Tech and Civic Life, which provides funds to local election jurisdictions across the country to help ensure the locations have sufficient staffing, training and equipment necessary to deal with the impact of COVID-19.

The city of Albany located the grant source after the Dougherty County Commission voted in September to add three additional drop boxes and hire additional poll workers for the Nov. 3 presidential election.

“The Dougherty County Board of Commissioners received the request for the funding of additional absentee ballot drop boxes and accompanying requirements from the Board of Elections and our board voted and approved to fulfill this request to further accommodate the needs of our voters in Albany and Dougherty County amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in our community,” Dougherty County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas said. “This was an unbudgeted and unexpected budget allocation, and we are pleased that through this grant the county will be reimbursed for these expenses, which is a win-win for both the citizens and county government.”

The elections board voted in September for additional measures to make it easier for voters to cast ballots as the novel coronavirus still remains a threat in the community. Those measures included installation of three additional ballot drop boxes in east, south and northwest Albany.

The ballot boxes approved by county commissioners will be placed at the Tallulah Massey Library, Southside Library and Northwest Library branches.

The grant will cover the cost of the ballot boxes and required security equipment.

County Commissioner Russell Gray, who cast the sole vote against installing the equipment, was relieved the county will be reimbursed for up-front costs, but said there are still costs associated with the service that are not covered.

“It makes me feel better that it’s not costing the taxpayers,” he said during a Saturday telephone interview. “It’s still an unfunded mandate. We’re going to have to pay for internet service; we’re going to have to pay for maintenance.

“It’s like you get a free cable box. You don’t have free cable TV; you still have to pay for service every month.”

During discussion about the drop boxes, commissioners noted the county’s 28 precincts are considerably more than other counties with comparable populations, but also noted that the issue of closing precincts is a hot-button issue for the voters who cast ballots at those locations.

The grant covers 2020 election expenses incurred between June 15-Dec. 31, including the costs associated with the safe administration of elections. Some of these include maintaining open in-person polling places on Election Day, providing personal protection equipment and personal disinfectant to protect election officials and voters from COVID-19.

“With this funding, our office will be able to provide additional equipment to count absentee ballots at a faster rate and provide more election day supplies, such as state-required paper utilized in ballot printers, as well as ink for the printers, and other supplies,” Dougherty County Election Supervisor Ginger Nickerson said. “We greatly appreciate this grant and the opportunities it will afford us in order to meet our unforeseen and unbudgeted needs with facilitating elections this year.”

The grant also covers costs of hiring and training poll workers and costs of additional cleaning and sanitizing of polling sites, as well as maintenance of early voting locations and technology for improving processing of mailed ballots.

“The Board of Elections was proactive with a request for additional absentee ballot drop boxes for voters in Dougherty County this election year,” Frederick Williams, chairman of the Board of Elections, said. “We are pleased that through this grant award, Dougherty County will be able to recover the unexpected costs of these additional drop boxes and other costs associated with the installation, monitoring, and collection of ballots from these locations.”

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