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The Virginia Department of Elections is distributing $9 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, and Prince Edward County will receive $55,304.03 of those funds.

The funds are granted specifically to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally, for the 2020 federal elections only.

According to Director Of Communications Andrea Gaines with the Virginia Department of Elections, these funds may be used toward any expenditures related to the protection of the health and safety of poll workers, staff, and voters during the federal election as well as those resulting from anticipated increased demand for absentee ballots by mail costs (e.g. printing ballots, printing envelopes, postage, etc.), equipment and temporary staff.

Funds cannot be utilized for items that would be needed regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While funds disbursed to localities may also be used for obtaining personal protective equipment (PPE), the Virginia Department of Elections has provided $1 million in PPE and sanitization supplies utilizing state resources for May local elections and CARES Act funding for June primary elections and is preparing to provide PPE for the November election as well.

These supplies consisted of masks, face shields, gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfectant for voting machines and other surfaces, precinct protection kits, one-time use folders, and one-time use pens for voters to utilize at polling locations.