Author: Karen Brinson Bell, Executive Director
Because of the pandemic and the increased demand to provide accessible, safe, and secure elections, several organizations are offering grant opportunities or in-kind donations separate from CARES Act and HAVA funds to assist state and local jurisdictions. Acceptance of these grants or donations by the State Board of Elections is subject to State policies and regulations. County boards of elections applying for these grants or accepting in-kind donations should follow policies and regulations specific to their county.
Adherence to County Policy
Per G.S. § 163-37, the board of county commissioners is required to appropriate funds for the functioning of the county board of elections. In the absence of legal authority permitting your board to accept a grant from a third party, your board may need to seek approval from the county commissioners if it wishes to accept grant funds from one of these organizations, unless the county has designated another process for approval. You should consult with your county manager and budget office to determine the process and have your county attorney review any proposed agreement.
Although it is not directly related to county boards of elections, the School of Government has a helpful blog post that discusses issues to consider when a local government entity is deciding whether to accept grant funds: Donations to Local Governments | School of Government at UNC Chapel Hill Blog. It notes, among other things, that a local government entity may only accept grant funds earmarked for a purpose for which the entity has statutory authority to spend money.
Additional Grant and In-Kind Donation Opportunities
The following grant opportunities or in-kind donations have been identified; however, this list may not be exhaustive.
- State level grant or in-kind donation opportunities:
- Rescindedo Anheuser-Busch hand sanitizer: North Carolina has accepted and is distributing hand sanitizer to voting locations through an in-kind donation by AnheuserBusch, which is producing and donating more than eight million ounces of hand sanitizer to polling locations across the United States for this November’s general election. State Emergency Management is assisting in the distribution and supplementing additional hand sanitizer needs not met by Anheuser-Busch’s donation. (Deadline: Completed)
- BallotTrax ballot tracking platform: Provided at no charge for the 2020 elections. (Deadline: Completed)
- Facebook Advertising and Strategic Marketing Support: In-kind award of $110,000 in ad coupons and strategic marketing support services to aid in efforts to recruit poll workers for the 2020 general election. (Deadline: Completed)
- Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR): CEIR’s mission is to ensure elections are secure, voters have confidence in election outcomes, and democracy thrives as civic engagement grows. SBE plans to submit for this state-level grant which is being offered to support efforts to educate voters and communicate vital election-related information. (Deadline: Sept. 18, 2020)
- Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL): CTCL is a civic technology nonprofit that provides training and tools to election officials. The EAC, NASED, SBE, and many North Carolina counties have worked with this organization and used their tools to improve our election processes. These grant funds are available to ensure jurisdictions have the staffing, training, and equipment necessary for the November general election so every eligible voter can participate in a safe and timely way and have their vote counted. (Deadline: Oct. 1, 2020)
- Arnold Schwarzenegger/USC Schwarzenegger Institute: The former Governor of California established the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy in 2012 to advance policy and public debate in finding solutions to serious challenges. While in its initial stages, if awarded these grant funds would address polling place closures or relocations. (Deadline: TBD)
- County level grant or in-kind donation opportunities:
- Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL): CTCL is a civic technology nonprofit that provides training and tools to election officials. The EAC, NASED, SBE, and many North Carolina counties have worked with this organization and used their tools to improve our election processes. These grant funds are available to ensure jurisdictions have the staffing, training, and equipment necessary for the November general election so every eligible voter can participate in a safe and timely way and have their vote counted. (Deadline: Oct. 1, 2020)
Additional CARES Act Funds
N.C. Session Law 2020-97 allocated an additional $5 million in CARES Act funds to the State Board of Elections “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic during the 2020 federal election cycle.” A portion of these funds was designated for county boards of elections. Award letters to counties for these funds will be sent separately from this memo. The session law allocates:
- $1,000,000 total, to provide each county $10,000 to supplement county funds for Election Day voting.
- $2,500,000 to counties to increase election day worker pay, consistent with applicable federal law or guidance governing the use of funds, by $100.00 for each worker during the administration of the Nov. 3, 2020, statewide general election. A survey was sent on Sept. 9, 2020 to county election directors to determine award amounts based upon the number of election day workers.
- $500,000 to be held in reserve by the State Board of Elections to reimburse counties for additional election day worker pay in accordance with the initial allocation.
↓ Grant or In-Kind Donation Opportunities: Numbered Memo 2020-21 (PDF)