Colorado Secretary of State’s Office Awards over $6 million in Grants for Election Administration

Denver, July 29, 2021 - Over the past year, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office has awarded over $6.3 million in grants to counties throughout the state to assist with conducting the State Primary and General Elections in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The grants were used on items like adding new drop-boxes, supplementing election judge pay, and outfitting voting centers with PPE.

“Despite the challenges of a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic, the 2020 State Primary and General Elections were among the most successful in our state’s history,” said Secretary of State Jena Griswold.  “I’m proud that the Secretary of State’s Office was able to provide this important funding to counties when their budgets were limited, to ensure every eligible Coloradan could have their voice heard, even in the midst of a global pandemic.”

The grants were made possible though both federal CARES Act funding and the Colorado Votes Act (HB19-1278).  A total of 60 out of 64 Colorado counties received assistance through these grants. 

The grants include: 

2019 Colorado Votes Act Grants

Total amount funded = $2,390,000 total awarded

89 drop boxes funded = $890,000 awarded

Primarily included cost of box, video surveillance, and installation

30 VSPCs funded = $1,500,000 awarded

Primarily included voting equipment such as ICX’s, printers, and voting booths

CARES Act Drop Box Grant

40 drop boxes funded = $400,000 awarded

Primarily included cost of box, video surveillance, and installation

CARES Act Election Judge Grant

23 grants funded = $133,778.55 awarded

Covered additional election judge pay for the June Primary election up to an extra $3/hour to help offset election judge shortages that had been experienced throughout the nation due to COVID.

14 grants funded = $267,760.79 awarded

Covered additional election judge pay for the November General Election up to a maximum amount set for each county. Could be used for an hourly pay increase or a flat-rate bonus for election judges.

CARES Act Primary Election Mailing Grant

47 grants funded = $820,698.88 awarded

Reimbursed costs of printing, inserting, and mailing ballots during the June Primary election up to a maximum amount set for each county.

CARES Act Election Safety Grant

45 grants funded = $2,320,948.36 awarded

This was a grant that covered other COVID-related expenses, including:

• PPE
  • Gloves, towels, disposable pens, face shields, disinfectant, plexiglass sneeze guards and installation, etc.
• Costs Associated with Staff and Judges
  • Pay for additional judges to have more judges on-call
  • Technology to assist with remote training, signature verification, and ballot adjudication to allow for more social distancing
• VSPC-related expenses
  • Costs associated with renting larger spaces for VSPCs or reserving alternate locations
  • Tools and equipment for curbside voting, tents for drive up voting, laptops, ballot on demand printers, and dymo label printers
  • Signs and floor markings
  • Cleaning costs