Vote safely
This year for the presidential elections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) came up with an extensive guide, specifically made for polling stations and voters to practice safety measures while exerting their right to vote.
The guide recommends a proper and frequent cleaning of the polling station surfaces, poll workers and election officers must have proper hand hygiene, and voters need to respect all the safety measures in order to stay healthy and safe.
Because of the pandemic, more and more people are inclined to vote early or by mail.
In-person voting
When it comes to in-person voting, it’s very important that those who prefer voting this way feel well physically and do not present any COVID-19 symptoms.
- If you want to make sure that everything goes as planned, you might want to check twice if you have all the documentation with you before you leave your home
- Make sure to fill in any forms before leaving home, this way, you’ll avoid any pointless delays
- You can opt to vote early if your state allows it
- Try to go to the polling section early or at off-peak times in order to avoid long lines
- Follow the safety measures
More info about what documents and voting entails you need in order to vote HERE.
The safety measures that must be taken while voting are the same you would apply in any other circumstances, according to the CDC. For instance, you should keep a 6 feet distance from others while standing in line, wear your mask, and sanitize your hands with 60 percent alcohol sanitizer. Also, make sure you don’t touch your eyes or nose if your hands are not properly cleaned.
According to the CDC, you should wash your hands before and after entering the poll station. The same applies to using hand sanitizer. Following these simple steps should help keep the viruses away.
The CDC also states the importance of wearing a face mask while voting and waiting in line. The only people that are excused from wearing a mask or any type of face covering are children younger than 2 and people who have difficulty breathing.
The CDC guideline suggests bringing your own ink pen or electronic stylus, however, you need to check first with your polling station, because this measure isn’t accepted everywhere. If you’re not allowed to bring your own pen, you can disinfect the one that’s already there, this way, you’ll avoid touching an object that was used by hundreds of people before you.
“Wear your mask, stay at least 6 feet away from people when possible, avoid contact with people not wearing masks, bring hand sanitizer with you, and consider eye protection like goggles if you live in an area where there are high amounts of daily cases or if there is no mask mandate in your area,” explains Healthline adviser Dr. Angela Bell.
She also suggested that people should wear comfy shoes and bring their own portable chairs, just in case they have to sit in line for longer than expected. Also, you should already know what’s on your ballot, in order to spend as little time as possible in the booth.
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