Today, Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz announced that over $85,000 in grants were awarded to 19 municipalities to help them to continue to meet the mandates of the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) which was signed into law on October 29, 2002. HAVA provides opportunities for municipalities to improve the administration and access to elections in Vermont. As Vermont s chief election officer, the Secretary of State oversees this process.
This year grants in amounts of up to $20,000 will be used by municipalities to improve accessibility to polling places used for the primary and general elections. Since the program began, the Secretary of State s Office has awarded 119 grants totaling $481,538. Markowitz said, This round of grants is intended to help ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to polling places. Funds may be used for improvements such as paving parking areas, building ramps, and improving lighting.
Most of the costs for meeting the mandates of HAVA have been borne by the Secretary of State s office. In 2004, the Secretary of State s office received $16.6 million dollars in federal funds to help Vermont implement HAVA. Markowitz said, We have been very careful in our spending of this federal money which has enabled us to create an election trust fund so that now, and into the future, we can ensure that the costs of meeting the many new federal mandates created by HAVA will not be shifted to the municipalities of Vermont.
Markowitz added, We were pleased that the legislature permitted us to establish this grant program to help our municipalities cover some of the incidental costs of the federal election reform mandates.
For more information on the Help America Vote Act, go to the Secretary of State s website at http://vermont-elections.org/elections1/hava.html
2009 HAVA Accessibility Grants
Amt
#
TOWN
Project
5,000.00
1
Pawlet
New door and ramp
3,200.00
2
North Hero
Pave the walkway from the handicap parking area
5,000.00
3
Charleston
New ramp and handicap parking sign
331.50
4
Plainfield
Purchase lights with magnifiers for voting booths
5,000.00
5
Townshend
Create handicap parking space & ramp to enter building
5,000.00
6
Clarendon
Pave parking area
2,414.00
7
Westminster
Portable Lighting
3,000.00
8
Newbury
Repair steps
5,000.00
9
Pittsford
Pave parking area
3,920.00
10
St.Albans
Replace door and frame, install small roof, lever handled hardware
5,000.00
11
Wilmington
Replace doors, curb cut
4,513.00
12
Barre
Install automatic doors, mats
500.00
13
Thetford
ADA compliant signs
20,000
14
Burlington School District
Install automatic doors, add handicap parking spaces
3,500
15
Glover
Install handicap accessible door and ramp
759.35
16
Roxbury
Create handicap parking space, magnifying galls, accessible booth
4,875.00
17
Berkshire
Paving, handicap parking, access to ramp
5,000.00
18
Craftsbury
Paving and lighting of parking area
3,200.00
19
Lincoln
Paving and painting handicap spaces
85,212.85