Public Health Experts and Election Administrators Can Ensure a Healthy Democracy

Election Day is only months away, but Americans have already been voting for months amidst a once-in-a-generation global pandemic. The lessons we have learned about how to make the voting process safe and accessible must guide plans for November.

Keeping elections safe and healthy won’t be easy. As businesses and public entities are reopening their doors and Americans begin to venture out of their homes in greater numbers, COVID-19 cases are spiking in some states, which doesn’t bode well for a potential second wave in the fall. Election administrators should reflect on what has worked so far for voting during the age of coronavirus and where policy change can improve the safety of the voting experience by forming true partnerships with state and local public health entities.

Election administrators have formed partnerships to facilitate voting access with different sectors in the past, including with the U.S. Postal Service on absentee ballots, the Department of Defense for military and overseas citizen voting, design experts to make ballots and other election materials more accessible, and more. Before this year, though, there was little obvious need for election administrators to partner with public health entities except for things like disaster contingency plans for safe voting in the event of floods or hurricanes. The pandemic changed all that.

Looking at recent elections, Wisconsin attempted to navigate through the first wave of the pandemic, and because of close work with state and local public health departments, cases for COVID-19 did not surge to numbers expected in most of the state. Wisconsin was able to demonstrate that effective coordination with public health officials and expansion of by-mail voting options can better facilitate voting during a global public health crisis. Georgia had issues with a lack of preparedness for pandemic voting, which resulted in long lines and problems with voting machines. With lessons learned post-primary for Georgia, they can better prepare for a general election come November.

After an unprecedented primary season, we have learned a great deal more about administering elections during a crisis. Many states had to change their elections process entirely to improve safety for poll workers and voters alike. The CARES Act allocated $400 million to the states to cope with changes in elections during the pandemic. This funding is flexible and can be allocated to expand by-mail voting options and procure PPE and cleaning supplies for poll workers.

While many scientific questions around the virus remain, it has been proven that COVID-19 is primarily spread through the respiratory route from person to person. Evidence has driven prevention efforts thus far and should continue driving decisions to create safe voting environments, which include mandated public use of masks. In fact, research shows that the transmission rates are lowered significantly if everyone wears a mask. These are the evidence-based approaches that should be implemented for the general elections. If contingency plans are not based on good public health research, it could result in surges of coronavirus cases or debilitatingly long lines outside of in-person polling places.

To mitigate the further spread of disease as people exercise their constitutional right to vote, we believe that election administrators and public health officials must work together. Here’s how.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released recommendations for election administrators to consider that would protect voters and poll workers.

The CDC recommends disinfecting surfaces that may be contaminated with germs after cleaning, ensuring bathrooms at the polling station are supplied adequately with soap, water, and drying materials so visitors and staff can wash their hands, providing an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, and incorporating social distancing strategies, as feasible. This means increasing distance between voting booths, limiting nonessential visitors such as children under the age of 18, and discouraging physical contact as much as possible.

Election administrators and public health officials can certainly facilitate voting, but some recommendations require voters to play a part in keeping themselves and their neighbors healthy.

It is important to encourage voters to use voting methods that minimize direct contact with other people and reduce crowd size at polling stations by advocating for mail-in methods if it is allowed in that jurisdiction, early voting when possible to minimize crowd size on Election Day, and drive-up voting. Voters should stay home if they have a fever, respiratory symptoms, or believe they are sick and use other suggested options if available. Administrators who are handling mail-in applications and ballots should practice hand hygiene frequently.

Most states are making absentee voting easier. It is likely the safest option for voters, but it will require them in many places to request their ballot early and be diligent about returning it on time. States that do not make absentee voting easier have a higher burden to preserve safe in-person options.

Recommendations

1. Strengthen communications between public health and election officials
2. Have local public health officials work at in-person polling places to ensure CDC recommendations are enforced
3. Expand by-mail voting options, curbside voting, and early in-person voting
4. Ensure in-person polling places are well-staffed and safe to avoid spread of COVID-19 as well as preventing long lines