I am writing this post in May 2020, and I hope everyone reading it is doing well and managing their unique situations related to COVID-19.
The pandemic has changed all of our lives and has raised new questions related to elections security. I’m happy that Towson University recognizes the impact of the virus on faculty research focus and project designs and has provided funding for student researchers working on COVID-19 related projects. Josh Dehlinger and I were granted funding to consider mail-in voting impacts and risks to elections security, and this support aligns with the BTU Investment that Towson University is making to the overall research. We are excited to update our models and hope to share preliminary results soon.
Anne Arundel County, Maryland, also funded work to customize our poll workers training for their county’s process and voting locations. We continue to work with the county to support their needs and assist them in adapting to updated policies and procedures due to the pandemic.
We are looking forward to both of these projects and hope that we can continue to provide value to our community partners in this trying time.