A key swing county in suburban Atlanta approved nearly $50,000 this week to purchase “panic buttons” for election workers, a move that comes as those who administer elections have faced increased threats and harassments.
Commissioners in Cobb county approved the purchase of about 200 of the devices, which are about the size of a credit card, according to NBC News, which first reported on the purchase.
The devices alert authorities to someone’s location by pairing with a user’s smartphone. The commission also approved more than $14,000 to hire a security guard for the election office as part of a $2.43m budget for election contingencies.
“With the severe increase in concern for election worker safety, we’re requesting funds for a security guard for our office, as well as panic buttons for Poll Managers,” Tate Fall, the Cobb county election director wrote in a memo accompanying the request.
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