Secretary Of State Bob Brown Announces $200K for Community Based Education Grants

Montana Secretary of State Bob Brown announced today
his
office will make $200,000 of federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
dollars
available for community based organizations to educate Montanans on
recent
changes in our election’s system.

"HAVA requires us to provide as much education to the public about these
changes as possible. I can’t think of a better place for people to
learn
about these changes than from people involved in the community where
they
live," Brown said.

The educational grants will be distributed in $5000 increments to
organizations across the state that apply for the funds. Successful
applicants will promote the provisions of HAVA in Montana including new
ID
requirements at the polls, provisional voting and the ability for
voters to
request a new ballot if they make a mistake.

The grants will complement educational efforts already occurring at the
statewide level including public service announcements, public
appearances
and training seminars.

"These grants will help our office reach people that may not be reached
by
traditional statewide efforts. We will be looking for applications that
have an emphasis on the elderly, individuals with disabilities, youth
and
minorities," Brown said.

Grant applications are available by contacting the secretary of state’s
office at (406) 444-1259 or by email at All
applications must be received by January 31, 2004.

For more information about HAVA and its programs, visit the secretary of
state’s web site at http://sos.state.mt.us/.