With the United States presidential election fast approaching and the world still in the midst of a pandemic, it is important to consider how to exercise the democratic right of voting while staying safe. In this feature, we offer some tips and advice.

How To Vote Safely

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have drawn up an extensive guide informing polling stations and voters how to adhere to the best health and safety practices during this year’s presidential elections.

1. Check the data: Your county’s virus status can be found in real time on several national trackers, such as the one maintained by Johns Hopkins
2. Know your risk: Remember: Anyone can be infected — no matter your age or how healthy you are, although people with certain underlying conditions are at higher risk for serious complications.
3. Mail it in: If you live in an area where virus transmission has been high — or you are in a high-risk group — that may be a good reason to consider obtaining an absentee ballot and voting by mail.
4. Dropping off your mail-in ballot: Some voters plan to deliver their mail-in ballot in person. If that’s nothing more than opening a mail slot and inserting your ballot, you’ll be fine as long as you immediately use hand sanitizer.

Underlying conditions that increase in-person voting risk

---

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with the following conditions are most likely to have a serious reaction to the virus and therefore may need hospitalization and more serious interventions such as a ventilator:

• Older adults, with the risk rising by age. People 85 and older are at greatest risk.
• A serious heart condition, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy
• Cancer (or recovering from cancer)
• Sickle cell disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Solid organ transplantation
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Obesity — anyone with a BMI over 30

Learn more

---

25325 Borough Park DriveSuite 100Spring, TX 77380info@avatarhomehealth.com281-465-8220

Voting in Person

The first consideration for voters is to determine whether or not they feel well physically. If a person feels well and has no symptoms of a potential viral infection, they may choose to vote in person at the polling station.

To ensure that their voting experience goes smoothly, a person might want to check that they have all the documentation they need to vote in their jurisdiction before heading to the polling station.

Fill in any necessary forms in advance, if possible. All of this can help avoid unnecessary delays and standing in line.

To avoid long lines on election day, people could also choose to vote early, if that option is available in their jurisdiction.

For those who want to vote on the day, reporting to the polling station at off-peak times, such as mid-morning, might reduce waiting time.

Information on what voting entails, and what documents and ID a person needs to vote in the U.S. presidential election is available here.

Other safety measures are the same as the CDC advice in any other context. These include maintaining a physical distance of at least 6 feet from others if standing in line and keeping hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content handy.

Individuals should wash their hands before and after entering the polling station, if possible, and use hand sanitizer before and after touching objects or surfaces.

Good hand washing practices and the use of hand sanitizer can help kill viruses and any potentially harmful bacteria.

Wearing a face mask or other face covering in public settings is also an important step in preventing the spread of the new coronavirus, as CDC guidelines explain. This applies to polling station settings as well.

Children younger than 2 and people who have difficulty breathing should not wear a mask or face covering.

Finally, people may also want to bring their own black ink pen and electronic stylus to the polling station instead of using one provided at the venue. However, not all polling stations allow this, so individuals should check in advance.