Counties looking for funds to provide ballot drop boxes for the upcoming November General Election can apply for grants from the Secretary of State’s office.
According to information released Tuesday, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has reopened the application process for counties that have not previously received funding for this purpose. The drop boxes allow those voters who want to take advantage of Georgia’s no-excuse absentee ballot voting system to vote safely from home and then drop their ballots off with confidence, Raffensperger said.
“Georgia has successfully maintained several ways for voters to access the ballot throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Raffensperger. “Our first round of grants resulted in the installation of 144 absentee boxes, providing a safe and secure way for Georgians to vote by absentee ballot. I encourage every county to take advantage of the grant program and install a drop box ahead of the November elections.”
Georgia was recently ranked as one of the best in the nation for voter access in pandemic preparedness by RAND Corp. Shortly after that, the State Election Board gave Raffensperger and his team another vote of confidence when they voted unanimously to approve a rule authorizing the Secretary of State’s upcoming online absentee ballot request form portal.
As part of the grant process, counties who have not already received grant funding can apply for up to $3,000 to offset up to 75 percent of the cost to purchase and install these absentee ballot drop boxes. The county’s grant application window is open now until September 15, 2020.
Ballot drop boxes were used in the June 9 General Primary election after the State Election Board passed an emergency rule Raffensperger spearheaded the renewal of the absentee ballot box rule on July 1, 2020.
This announcement comes as many counties are looking at the possibility of mailing out absentee ballot applications. Raffensperger has said his office will not be mailing out applications for the November General Election as they did for the June 9 Primary but individual counties are looking at this option.
Those counties using the ballot drop boxes must adhere to a number of rules and regulations set by the State Election Board. The ballot drop boxes must be monitored by video continuously and have adequate lighting. The video recording must be retained by county registrars until either 30 days after the final certification of the election or the conclusion of any election on the ballot in the county, whichever is later.
Also, the boxes must be located on county or municipal government property that is generally accessible to the public. They must be securely fixed to the ground, be strong enough to withstand vandalism or bad weather, and must be constructed to prevent the tampering or removal of ballots.
