Western Pa. counties weigh options with election funding grants

Pennsylvania counties could see substantial financial relief this fall with money newly allocated by state lawmakers to help pay to run elections.

State lawmakers last month approved a $45 million program to finance elections in Pennsylvania. Counties have until Aug. 15 to apply for grants that will be based on the number of registered voters.

Larger counties, such as Allegheny and Westmoreland, appear ready to seek the grants. Allegheny County is in line to receive more than $4.7 million, while Westmoreland qualifies for nearly $1.27 million.

Butler Commissioner Leslie Osche said her county last week submitted its application for more than $693,000.

The money, though, comes with strings attached. Counties that accept the cash must begin processing their mail-in ballots at 7 a.m. on Election Day. The counting of those ballots is required to continue uninterrupted until the tally is completed. Grant conditions also require counties to post the number of mail-in ballots they received by midnight the day after the election and to have a full complement of paper ballots on hand on Election Day.

Those requirements are expected to drive up the costs to hold elections.

For Westmoreland, the grant would still be a significant cash infusion. The county’s election budget in 2022 is $1.8 million to run both the May primary and the November general election.

County leaders said a final decision to seek the grant hasn’t been reached, but officials indicated Westmoreland likely will apply.

Commissioner Doug Chew said he strongly favors accepting the cash.

“Every county that follows the current statutes should have no challenges in accepting these funds,” Chew said.

Staffing levels will have to be adjusted to meet the requirements, but Chew indicated the county already conforms to most grant conditions.

“We counted nonstop and in front of watchers, rotating staff in and out so that the workers were always fresh, ensuring an accurate count. We can easily work through the continual counting requirement,” Chew said.

Allegheny County has operated under those guidelines for the past two elections, spokeswoman Amie Downs said.

“We are confident that our existing processes and procedures on Election Day will allow us to meet the requirements set forth for the funding,” Downs said.

Allegheny budgeted $9.3 million this year to run elections.

Osche said Butler County expects the price tag to run elections will increase as a result of the grant requirements.

“This money will address that. This is more manageable for us,” Osche said.

Lisa Schaefer, executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, said most of the state’s 67 counties could benefit from the election grants.

“Funding for elections by the state has been a priority this year. Forty-five million dollars from virtually nothing is a pretty big deal,” Schaefer said. “We definitely have some counties concerned about their ability to provide staffing, so I think everyone is weighing their options.”

It’s unclear how many, if any, counties will forgo the grants.

For smaller, rural counties, the grants might not be enough of an incentive to make the required changes, Schaefer said.

In Fayette County, commissioners still are working through whether to seek the $406,000 it could receive for elections.

“We need to make sure we can meet the requirements,” Fayette Commissioner Dave Lohr said. “We’re leaning to saying yes.”

The legislation that enacted the grants included a provision that bars counties from accepting private funding for elections.

Allegheny County in October 2020 received more than $2 million from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit funded by Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. That money was used to hire additional temporary staffers to process, verify and canvass ballots, print ballots and automate mail. It also was used to purchase personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies for in-person voting, Downs said.

The county received no private funding in 2021 or this year.

Westmoreland has received no private funding for elections in recent years, county officials said.