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Mahoning elections board gets $785K grant

Funds to go toward training, PPE, more

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Board of Elections received a $784,567.21 grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life to help pay for the cost of this election.

The money is going toward poll worker training and recruitment, personal protection equipment for poll workers and to help offset the expenses of early voting, said board Director Joyce Kale-Pesta.

The struggling economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic caused budget challenges for the county, Kale-Pesta said.

She applied for grant funds from the nonprofit to support election operations.

The CTCL received a large portion of its funding from a $300 million gift from Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, and his wife, Priscilla Chan.

The grant money, which arrives today, will help Mahoning County operate a safe election by investing in providing PPE for poll workers, paying for the training of poll workers and making sure polling locations and the early voting center are sanitized, Kale-Pesta said.

“This allows our board to provide all the necessary PPE needed for the early voting location and Election Day locations while taking the burden off our county government and our citizens,” she said. “It also allows us to hire the necessary staff to process our absentee ballots by mail in a timely manner and staff all all our locations properly.”

She added: “The Mahoning County Board of Elections has always been committed to providing safe and honest elections. COVID-19 has caused many changes to our usual procedures. This grant from CTCL gives us the freedom to do things properly for the safety of the voters, election clerks and staff.”

news@tribtoday.com

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