The Center for Tech and Civic Life launched a program called the Alliance: Centers for Election Excellence in 2022. Shasta County Elections was selected as one of ten participating counties, out of 93 applicant jurisdictions nationwide. Shasta County was accepted into the program, which gives the department access to services at no cost to the county for consulting to improve the administration of elections.
We are honored and humbled to report that as a result of our participation, we were also offered a $1.5 million grant. The primary conditions are that the funding cannot supplant regular departmental budgeted funds, and that the funds must be used for election administration. Our intention is to use the bulk of this grant as seed money to purchase a county-owned facility for the county clerk/elections department. Current records obtained from our own files and with the assistance of the county Auditor reveal over $3 million spent on facility rent over the past 30 years.
As a department that primarily depends upon the County’s general fund to operate, it would behoove the county budget generally to house the department in county owned space. County administration over the past 20 years has repeatedly stated that moving the department into county owned space was a long-term goal.
Due to the singular nature of this grant opportunity and the short timeline to expend the funds, a capital investment is recommended. Having a facility with improved physical security for both staff and equipment, modern power capacity to support the technology needs of the department, adequate square footage to accommodate space needs for staff both full time and temporary around election time periods, adequate parking for voters and staff: all these things would facilitate and improve service to voters and clerk customers.
We particularly want to call attention to the fact that there is some controversy about private funding to publicly run election departments. The 2020 grant making performed by CTCL generated some controversy and has resulted in some states making donations and grant making of this kind illegal in the intervening three years. Opponents of private funding for election administration appear to remain skeptical of the program’s true intent, but we were unable to substantiate these allegations with any factual findings, criminal proceedings or prosecutions, or fruitful investigations in local jurisdictions that received this type of funding.
We felt strongly that it was the department’s obligation to present this choice to the Board of Supervisors given the large amount of funds offered. Additionally, County Administrative Policy 6-101, Shasta County Contracts Manual, section 5.6.4 requires the Board to approve a revenue agreement in this dollar amount.