cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/18733672

A key swing county in Georgia has approved nearly $50,000 in funding toward panic buttons for election workers this November.

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved the funding on Tuesday as part of a $2.43 million package for the upcoming election presented by the director of the county’s Board of Elections and Registration.

Now, the Board of Elections has the funding to purchase some 200 devices for workers.

The devices are small rectangles that fit in pockets and can be worn on a lanyard, NBC News reports. They can be programmed to send alerts to local law enforcement and can pair with cellphones to transmit the user’s location.