Anheuser-Busch donating hand sanitizer for November elections
Jefferson City, Mo. — According to a release from the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), St. Louis-based brewer Anheuser-Busch is producing and donating more than eight million ounces of hand sanitizer to polling locations across the United States for this November’s General Election.
“Missouri’s local election authorities have benefited from partnerships with a wide variety of companies and organizations, and this type of support from one of America’s most long-standing companies is another example of the cooperation and generosity that makes America truly unique,” said Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. “I am proud that one of the economic anchors of St. Louis is showing the U.S. what it means to do business in the ‘Show-Me State’.”
After consultation with Missouri’s local election officials, Ashcroft requested 1,050 gallons and 5,600 (8-oz.) bottles of hand sanitizer for use in polling places across the state in November. Prior to the June election, which was postponed from April 7 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, McCormick Distilling Company in Weston, Mo. donated 1,000 bottles of hand sanitizer that was later personally delivered to local election authorities by Ashcroft in May.
Ashcroft drove more than 5,000 miles and visited all 116 election jurisdictions. He delivered 17,000 face masks, 17,000 face shields, more than 500 gallons of sanitizer, 40,000 floor strips for physical distancing and 16,000 posters that encouraged six feet of distance between voters. At the same time, his office began distributing $4.5 million to local election authorities allowing funding for them to meet their jurisdiction’s individual needs. More recently, the office shipped 4,900 more face masks at the request of some election officials.
In coordination with NASS, the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Anheuser-Busch will distribute the hand sanitizer to state election offices that have requested it to help ensure the safety of voters and poll workers throughout the election process. Ashcroft recently served on the Executive Committee of NASS and his co-directors of elections are members of NASED.
Contact information for local election officials may be found on the Secretary of State’s website at https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/localelectionauthority. Voting information can be found online at www.GoVoteMissouri.co