Alna has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the non-profit Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) to support poll worker recruitment and training, PPE for poll workers, and a variety of other election expenses necessitated by the pandemic.

The nonpartisan CTCL recognizes that the pandemic and resulting national recession have caused serious budget challenges for local governments across the country. Many cities and towns, like Alna, are struggling with how to conduct safe, accessible elections within existing budgets – especially if a second wave of coronavirus erupts this fall. To meet this extraordinary challenge, CTCL has made grants available to help localities fund the unanticipated costs of conducting an election in the midst of this unprecedented public health emergency.

Alna Second Selectman Doug Baston said he was advised of this grant opportunity by an alert citizen, Melissa Hunnibell, the day before it was due. “Melissa found out about this on Sept. 30, and the application was due on Oct. 1. Just to add further excitement, the grant was due electronically and Alna had no power due to the windstorm. The clerk and treasurer scrambled and together we collected the data CTLC needed and, with the help of CMP’s line crews, we got it filed just before the deadline.”

On Wednesday Oct. 7, the town was advised it was awarded the full amount requested.

“This is not going to be an easy election to run,” Baston said. “But at least we won’t have to worry as much about how to pay for the things we must have to make the process safe for our voters and our poll workers. We were never going to cut corners there. People need to know that we will do everything the public health experts recommend to make it safe for them to fulfill this most important responsibility of citizenship.”

CTCL is a nationally recognized, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of civic technologists, trainers, researchers, election administration and data experts working to help modernize U.S. elections. CTCL connects election officials with guidance, expertise, tools and training so they can best serve their communities and ensure elections are more professional, safe and secure. CTCL works with the federal government, as well as local and state governments of all sizes across the nation and regardless of partisanship, to highlight best practices and create easy-to-use resources for administrators. For more information, visit https://www.techandciviclife.org/