Clarion County elections officials have been very busy with mail-in ballot requests.
“We are being overwhelmed by requests for mail-in ballots,” county commissioner Ed Heasley said at Tuesday’s commissioners meeting. “The county has received seven times as many requests for mail-in ballots as it received in 2016.”
The county received 408 requests for absentee ballots in the 2016 presidential election year. This year, as of May 12, the county has received more than 3,000 requests for absentee or mail-on ballots.
The amendment would add $17,392.50 to the initial agreement for an additional scanner. The county will pay $4,192.50 now and a $1,650 yearly payment for eight years between 2021-2028 and $99,092.30 for the 10th year buyout of all the voting machines.
“The machines will probably be obsolete at the end of 10 years,” said Heasley. “That’s why it is an option.”
The commissioners adopted a notice of intent to apply for an $18,900.72 elections security grant.
“It is based on voter registration numbers in each of the counties and this is what we were eligible to receive,” commissioner Wayne Brosius said.
The county will also apply for a $16,196.27 CARES Act grant. The grant must be used by the end of 2020.
“It can be used for supplies, like face masks, to prevent the spread of COVID, and staffing training,” said Brosius. “We have had a lot of extra training this year.”
In other matters Tuesday, a request from the hotel tax committee for up to $10,000 for advertising and marketing with a focus on outdoor activities was tabled. Heasley said the county wanted to review the proposed advertisement.
The ads won’t air until the county is moved into the green zone under Gov. Tom Wolf’s coronavirus response plan.