Today is Election Day, one of the most important days of the year in the United States. If you are a registered U.S. voter and you haven’t voted yet by early voting, absentee ballot or vote by mail, then please VOTE today! Voting is not only our right but our civic duty. Here are a few quick tips to vote safely during the pandemic; so quick, in fact, that I’m not even going to use a “read more” break.
- Wear a face mask. If you’ve read this blog before, you had to know this was coming. There will probably be large crowds at polling places, and by now we all know that crowded events are risky for COVID-19. But don’t let fear of infection keep you from voting! Wear your mask to protect yourself and the people around you and get out and vote.
- Bring hand sanitizer and sanitize your hands after you touch door knobs, shared pens, or any other high-touch surface.
- Stay 6 feet away from people you don’t live with. If you’re waiting in line, be sure to stay 6 feet behind the person in front of you and ask the person behind you to stay 6 feet behind. Remember when we all used to feel awkward about asking people to back off? These days, I find a friendly “six feet, please” works just fine most time. See a friend or neighbor you haven’t seen in a long time? Give them a friendly wave and shout “hello!” from a distance.
- Check the weather report and dress appropriately. It’s very likely you’ll be waiting in long lines outdoors. What’s the weather report for your area? Rain? Snow? Wind? Be sure to pack weather-appropriate layers, hat, gloves or mittens and boots if needed! And if you’re lucky enough to live somewhere it’s warm today, wear layers you can remove if needed.
What are you waiting for? Find your polling place and go vote!
🗳️ Dr. B