Theelectionis almost here, which means it’s time to talk about voting andcoronavirus.
Some of these ballot issues arealready disproportionately affecting Black voterstoo.
Its no wonder that many people are planning to vote in person, even those with seemingly mail-friendly options.
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First, know that many polling places are taking precautions.
Many states, including Wisconsin, have taken that to heart.
Were taking this very seriously.
Both Wisconsin and Colorado have some of thehighest voter turnoutsin the country.
However, voting accessibility differs across states, and also often across racial and socioeconomic lines.
Georgia voters are already reporting waits ofmore than 10 hours to cast their ballots.
double-check you make a plan that works for the state.
Creating a voting plan can be complicated enough even when adeadly and debilitating virusisn’t ravaging the country.
Im planning on voting in person as well.
Its an important ritual for me, Dr. Gandhi says.
Heres what she recommends to keep yourself safe from the coronavirus at the polls.
No doubt youve heard a lot of this advice beforebut thats because it works.
Thats true at the polls too.
We need to ensure that facial masking is maintained, Dr. Gandhi says.
The air you breathe should be goingthroughthe mask, not out the sides.
Reserve N95 masks and surgical masks for health care workers.
At this point, its unclear how effective they are.
Keep your mask on whenever it’s humanly possible.
If it’s crucial that you remove it for a sip of water or snack, do so quickly.
Special circumstances may occur too.
But otherwise:Mask up, and get strategic about it.
Have ahearty, filling mealbeforehand so you may be less likely to need a snack at the polls.
Take at least one extra mask in case you gotta swap yours out for some reason.
Plan to use only your most comfortable masks on election day.
Keep at least a six-foot distance from masked voters outside your household.
As with any other time during this pandemic,physical distancingis key on election day.
Stay even farther away from people who arent wearing a mask.
It will be no different at the polls.
Thats because creating additional barriers for voters presents a legal issue.
So, you might be voting alongside unmasked people.
There are other reasons people may not have their mask on at every moment.
Id keep more distance, like 10 feet.
Gandhi says to take even more extreme measures if you’re free to.
I would lose my place in line and go back.
Bring hand sanitizer with you and use it often.
Washingandsanitizing your handsis undoubtedly a good way to minimize how many germs youre carrying around.
Agrowing body of researchsuggests that the risk of this kind of transmission is low.
