With continued concern over the November elections and potential delays within the postal system, Democrats are promoting the use of drop boxes for ballots while Republicans are seeking to prevent their use in states around the country. President Donald Trump’s re-election committee, in fact, is suing to keep ballot drop boxes from being used in Pennsylvania, according to a report by WTVB.
In Wisconsin, the mayors of Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Racine and Milwaukee have obtained grant funding totaling $6.3 million from Chicago nonprofit group the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), according to Spectrum News 1. The cities have created the “Wisconsin Safe Voting Plan,” and obtained the funds to support elections.
The money will allow the five cities to invest in securely opening an adequate number of voting sites, creating drive-through and drop-box locations and other measures that encourage citizens to feel safe as they securely cast their votes.
Racine Mayor Cory Mason
| https://www.cityofracine.org/
The CTCL states on its website that it seeks to foster a “more informed and engaged democracy” while “helping to modernize U.S. elections.” The organization says that it provides tools and information to election officials around the United States.
“The deadly COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a global public health crisis and seriously impaired the ability of local governments to administer safe and smooth elections,” Racine Mayor Cory Mason said in a press release announcing the funding in Wisconsin. “These grants will help each municipality make investments that will ensure smooth, safe and healthy elections in a time of a national health pandemic — which each municipality otherwise would struggle to do while facing an intense budget shortfall.”
Here in Minnesota, however, there does not appear to be any instances of such funding from CTCL. According to Rochester City Clerk and Communications Director Anissa Hollingshead, there has been no contact from the group.
“I’m familiar with the center, but we have not accepted any funding,” Hollingshead told Southeast Minnesota News.
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