Laurens County Registration & Elections Teams up with Nonpartisan Nonprofit to Invest in Safe Elections During Covid-19

 Project will support Poll Worker Training and Recruitment, PPE for Poll Workers, Absentee Voting, both in person and by mail.

Director Lynne West of the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Laurens County reported to the Laurens County Council tonight that she, on behalf of the Board of Voter Registration and Elections has secured over $45,000 in nonprofit grants to fund safe and secure elections.  The grants, awarded by the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCVL), will help Laurens County administer elections this year in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The national recession that accompanied the pandemic has caused serious budget challenges for localities across the state.  Local governments around the nation are grappling with unexpected deficits, raising prospects of deep cuts to core services.  As a result, localities are struggling with how to conduct safe and accessible elections.

To meet this extraordinary challenge, West applied for grant funds form CTCL to support elections operations.  The grant program will enable localities to prepare for and operate safer elections by investing in priorities that would otherwise be difficult to accomplish, such as hiring office temps and recruiting and training poll workers

The Center for Tech and Civic Life is a nationally-recognized, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of civic technologists, trainers, researchers, election administration and data experts working to help modernize U.S. elections. CTCL connects election officials with guidance, expertise, tools, and trainings so they can best serve their communities, and ensure that elections are more professional, safe, and secure. CTCL works with the federal government, as well as local and state governments of all sizes across the nation and regardless of partisanship to highlight best practices and create easy-to-use resources for administrators.