Elections Officials in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, and Wyoming, the Next States on the Primary Calendar, are taking Extra Precautions but have expressed Confidence that Voting can be held Safely. But at this point, Officials do Not Plan to Expand Polling Hours or Shift Mail-in-Ballot Deadlines. The most Significant Change will be the Relocation of Polling Stations away from Areas where many Older People Live, like Assisted-Living Facilities.
Arizona
In a News Release on Wednesday, Katie Hobbs, the Secretary of State in Arizona, said she wanted to “remind voters to make a plan for participating in this election.”
The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office has Recommended that Voters either Cast Ballots by Mail, which should have been Postmarked by Wednesday to be Safe, or Drop Off a Vote-by-Mail Ballot at a Designated Location before Polls Close on Tuesday. The Secretary of State’s Office also urged People to Cast Ballots In-Person at Early-Voting Sites, which are Open until Friday.
In Maricopa County, the State’s Largest and Home to Phoenix, Adrian Fontes, the County Recorder, attempted to begin Sending Ballots by Mail to All Voters that typically Vote on Election Day and are Eligible for the Democratic Primary Election, even if a Voter had Not yet Requested One. But the State Attorney General (R), filed a Lawsuit against Fontes and sought a Temporary Restraining Order to Prevent him from Sending out the Ballots.
Without the Proactively Mailed Ballots, the County had to Relocate and Consolidate roughly 80 Polling Locations. Now, instead of an Assigned Polling Location, the County will Allow Voters to Select from Any of the Remaining 151 Locations across the County.
Florida
Florida has Declared a State of Emergency over the Coronavirus, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has urged County Elections Supervisors to Move Polling Places Out of Assisted Living Facilities. “That’s problematic,” he told Reporters on Wednesday in Tallahassee, the State Capital, adding that Residents should still be able to Vote there, but not the General Public. “I think there’s a way to do that,” he said. “That’s a prudent step to take.”
The State has TemAporarily Restricted Visits to Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Adult Family-Care Homes, Long-Term Care Facilities, and Adult Group Homes, and to Keep Out International and Cruise Ship Travelers and Other People who might have been Exposed to the Coronavirus.
In Broward County, where a Small Cluster of Coronavirus Cases has been tied to the Port Everglades Seaport, the Elections Department Plans to move Six Polling Places Out of Assisted Living Facilities. Those Locations asked for the Change, but Not All senior Facilities have, in part because they want Residents to have the Convenience of Voting there, said Steve Vancore, a Spokesman for Supervisor Peter Antonacci.
The Department has bought “oodles” of Soap, Paper Towels, Rubbing Alcohol and Wipes. It already had a Supply of Gloves. We’re putting signs at every precinct encouraging everybody approaching to wash their hands. We have plenty of Purell Hand Sanitizes available. The Poll Workers are being asked and encouraged to wear gloves.” Vancore said. Poll Workers will be Wiping Down Voting Booths “as they can,” he said.
Illinois
Two of the Largest Voting Jurisdictions in Illinois, Cook County and Chicago, obtained a Court Order on Thursday that will Allow the Counties to issue Vote-by-Mail Ballots to All Nursing Home Residents in their Jurisdictions. The Order also Removes the Requirement to send Election Judges into Nursing Homes to Conduct Voting.
“Nursing homes around the state are withdrawing as polling places, so local election authorities are relocating polling places and sending out statutorily required notifications to affected voters,” said Matt Dietrich, a Spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections. He said that included more than 100 Locations in the Chicago Area.
Louisiana
Louisiana will Postpone its April 4th Primary Election for more than Two months, Officials announced on Friday, becoming the First State in the Nation to Adjust its Elections in Response to the Coronavirus Outbreak.
“Today I have certified that a state of emergency exists and requested that the governor issue an executive order postponing the elections this spring,” Louisiana’s Secretary of State, R. Kyle Ardoin, said at a News Conference Friday afternoon. “I want to thank the governor and his staff for working with us in a bipartisan manner to accomplish this mission.”
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) said in a Statement that it would “continue to work with every state party as they adjust their delegate selection plans around coronavirus,” but that by Moving its Primary to June 20th, which is Past the June 9th Deadline set by the DNC, Louisiana could face a Penalty that would include the State Losing at least Half of its Delegates.
Ohio
Frank LaRose, the Ohio Secretary of State, has Directed All County Election Boards to Relocate Voting Locations that are Near places where a High Concentration of Older People Live, and County Officials have been working to find New Polling Sites.
On Wednesday, the County Boards reported to the Secretary of State’s Office that they had identified 128 Locations around the State that would need to be Changed. In Hamilton County, Home to Cincinnati, 26 Polling Locations have been Moved.
Ohio, which has Declared a State of Emergency in response to the Coronavirus, has also Expanded Curbside Drop-Off of Absentee Ballots in response to the Outbreak, to help keep those who are Vulnerable away from Crowds. As of Wednesday, the State had received roughly 336,000 Absentee Ballot Requests, compared with about 328,000 at the same point in 2016.
Another worry is the Availability of Poll Workers, a Volunteer Group that skews Older, and whose Absence on Election Day could lead to Longer Lines and Bigger Crowds. The Secretary of State’s Office said it had been “proactively requesting additional recruitment from state and local government employees, outside organizations, and even college students to step up and serve Ohio as poll workers.”
“In fact, as of early this afternoon, we’ve had 582 Ohioans sign up to be poll workers just since Tuesday,” said Jon Keeling, the Communications Director for LaRose. “We’ve been thrilled with how many have stepped up.”
Wyoming
Wyoming, Suspended the In-Person Portion of its Democratic Caucuses, Scheduled for April 4th. Residents will be able to either Vote by Mail or Drop-Off their Ballots at a County Polling Location.
Elections Officials said they were taking Extra Precautions before Voters head to the Polls. Each Secretary of State has sent out regular Updates, Reiterating Recommendations from Federal Officials about Preventive Measures to Stop the Spread of the Virus, and encouraging Voting by Mail or Early Voting. State Officials have been trying to Emphasize the New Basics of Voting Hygiene, like Keeping Hand Sanitizes at Polling Locations and making sure Local Officials properly Clean Machines.
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), introduced a Bill this week that would “require all states to offer an option for voters to mail in or drop-off a hand-marked, paper ballot” if more than a Quarter of States declared a State of Emergency because of the Coronavirus.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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