Page 172 - Conducting Elections during COVID-19

154 INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF CONDUCTING ELECTIONS DURING COVID-19

New polling measures for COVID-19 safety:

• Some polling stations practised social distancing and employed a one-in, one-out policy,
while others ordered voters to stay 6 feet apart.

• Voters got hand sanitizer immediately, before entering the polling place. If there’s a line (and
there are limited wait times) line spacers ordered voters to stay 6 feet apart.
• Voters got their ballots from a gloved worker.
• After filling out the ballot, voters were asked to not lick it close. Instead, voters were asked
to stick their finger in water to seal it shut.
• On the way out, voters got an alcohol wipe and an “I voted” sticker. A final swipe of Purell
was available to voters as they exit.
• Ballot workers wiped down machine touch screens after every half hour.

• Delaware: Absentee ballot voting opportunities were allowed to all voters concerned about
COVID-19.

• Florida: The state held its presidential primary election on March 17. Prior to the election, officials
moved voting locations from areas with vulnerable populations e g assisted living facilities to
community centers or other public locations, such as. The populous Miami Dade County “kept
six precincts at senior facilities so voters who live there can vote on site.” However, all other
voters assigned to those precincts had to vote at reassigned locations. During Election Day,
officials provided hand sanitizer, clean voting equipment and additional COVD-19 safety training
to poll workers.
• Hawaii: All in-person voting was substituted by mail voting.

• Illinois: The state held its presidential primary election on March 17. On March 13, the State Board
of Elections in coordination with Department of Public Health issued COVID-19 safe election
guide. The guidance prescribed preventative measures for:

A voter drops off a ballot for the Arizona Democratic presidential
preference election Tuesday, March 17, in Phoenix.

A worker wearing protective gloves counts ballots at the Broward
County Supervisor of Elections Office during the Florida Primary
elections, Tuesday, March 17, in Lauderhill, Florida.