Governor Urged to Continue Support for General Election with Additional Funding and Operational Assistance
The Prince George’s County Council, during a virtual session on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, voted to authorize Council Chair Todd M. Turner’s signature on a Joint Letter with County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. The correspondence, a follow up to a Joint Letter approved on July 7, 2020, urges Governor Hogan to continue support for the 2020 Presidential General Election by providing additional funding and operational assistance for local Boards of Elections to conduct a fair and successful General Election on November 3rd.
The correspondence, which expresses appreciation to Gov. Hogan and the Maryland State Board of Elections for their decision to modify the original order from a primarily in-person election in November to a hybrid option that includes the use of vote-by-mail, in-person voting, sufficient Election Day voting centers and drop box locations, notes the additional costs to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections and other counties to execute their Election Plan, which includes the mailing of ballots, purchase and security of drop boxes and personal protective equipment for poll workers. The Prince George’s County Board of Elections estimates additional unbudgeted costs to the County of over $3.5 million to conduct the election.
The correspondence states, in part, “State legislation and partnerships have been for the State and Counties to share costs for the implementation of elections in the State. We join with the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) and the State Board of Elections in requesting additional State financial contribution to the Prince George’s and other local Board of Elections to conduct this unique General Election.”
Council Chair Turner (D – District 4), says additional State support for the November 3rd General Election is central to ensuring a fair, safe and successful election process for Prince George’s County’s residents.
“The November 3rd General Election will undoubtedly be one of the most consequential in recent history, and we have an obligation to ensure that poll workers are protected, residents remain safe, and every ballot is counted. The Council remains committed to working with Governor Hogan, our State elected officials and residents to address our funding challenges so every resident has an opportunity to safely exercise their right to vote.”
“We are in the midst of unprecedented times, which has required us to take extra measures to ensure that Prince Georgians have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote in a manner that is safe,” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. “Our County Board of Elections has been working diligently to oversee a safe and fair election, however with the unbudgeted, but necessary expenses that have arisen, we are hopeful that the state will provide an additional financial contribution due to the cost of this very unique election process.”
According to the County Election Plan, submitted to the State Board of Elections, Prince George’s County is expected to have a total of forty-one (41) total voting sites. Eleven (11) of these will be Early Voting sites, and an additional thirty (30) sites will be in operation on Election Day, including the recently announced use of FedEx Field.
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