WELLSBURG — The Brooke County Commission Tuesday learned the county will receive a grant for new voting equipment designed to ensure each vote is recorded.

Commission President A.J. Thomas said the application for a $126,657 federal Help America Votes Act grant was submitted by Chief County Elections Clerk Sarah DeLong.

The grant requires a match of about $126,657 from the county.

Plans call for it to be used to purchase about 20 electronic voting machines and media sticks, which are used to record the choices made by each voter, as well as e-poll books.

DeLong explained the books are laptop computers which poll workers will use to confirm a voter’s registration information, such as present address, and which voters will “sign” electronically after presenting the required proof of identity.

She said with it, a poll worker will be able to direct a voter whose precinct has changed to the proper polling place.

“Right now, they have to call us to find out,” said DeLong.

She said the e-poll books aren’t likely to be used until after the next presidential election because some time will be needed to train the poll workers in their use.

DeLong said the additional voting machines are needed to ease the flow of ballot casting whether on Election Day or during early voting at the county courthouse.

She said turnout for last fall’s county and state election was triple that of the previous one, while early voting had quadrupled.

The commissioners noted DeLong has secured hundreds of thousands in federal grant money for other voting needs, including about $500,000 for the voting machines currently in use and funds to offset the cost of preparing, sending and processing of mail-in ballots during the pandemic.

Asked the status of county levy funding for the Bethany Pike Fire Department, Thomas said any decision has been tabled pending a meeting between officials with the state fire marshal’s office and representatives of the department, which is expected to occur soon.

The commissioners recently agreed to withhold the volunteer department’s portion of funds generated by the county’s five-year levy until the department’s status is ensured.

They have been advised the department’s membership and vehicles has declined while Daniel Keener, the department’s treasurer, has pleaded guilty to stealing $150,000 of its funds.

In addition to the Bethany Pike department, it generates $58,500 each year for five years for each of the following fire departments: Bethany, Beech Bottom, Colliers, Follansbee, Franklin Community, which is on Washington Pike; Hooverson Heights, Wellsburg, Windsor Heights, McKinleyville and Weirton.

A previous arrangement calls for the neighboring McKinleyville Volunteer Fire Department to be dispatched to all calls in the Bethany Pike department’s service area.