Despite guidelines, not all polling booths are 6 feet apart

Election polling officials must enforce 6-foot physical distancing and take other safety precautions to protect against COVID-19 spread during early voting.

Yet, not all suburban polling sites are following Illinois Department of Public Health election requirements, although few complaints have been reported to authorities.

For example, some voting booths at Arlington Heights village hall were directly facing one another on Monday, and election judges sat close together so voters checking in were side by side.

At Glenview village hall, voting stations are placed so that voters could be standing or sitting almost back to back.

There also have been instances of early voters waiting in long lines not observing proper social distancing.

Federal and state health authorities advise placing polling booths 6 feet apart and maintaining the same social distancing for voter lines indoors and outside.

County election authorities are required to train local officials on specific COVID-19 safety measures for polling sites. That includes cleaning and disinfection, configuring for physical distancing, managing traffic flow and placing physical barriers where distancing is not possible.

"It's the responsibility of the local election authorities," Illinois State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich said. "They are the ones who set up the polling places. They are the ones who are responsible for following the guidance."

In Cook County, 53 polling sites opened for early voting Monday. Each location has a unique size and configuration, and officials are making logistical adjustments as needed to comply with safety guidelines, Cook County clerk's office spokeswoman Sally Daly said.

"We have done our best to ensure that all polling places are appropriately socially distanced," Daly said. "We do not have available staffing to monitor social distancing outside of the polling place, particularly if there are long lines."

Election judges and workers typically are equipped with masks, face shields, gloves and sanitizer. They also are screened for COVID-19 symptoms and submit to temperature checks, unlike voters who cannot be compelled to do so.

Beyond strongly encouraging voters through visual cues and signage to wear face coverings and distance, election authorities cannot mandate certain behaviors. They can supply face coverings for voters who arrive without one, but they cannot deny ballot access to anyone who refuses to wear a mask.

"We can't make them wear masks because that could be (construed as) suppression of votes," Kane County Clerk John Cunningham said. "So far, we have only had three people who had a problem with (wearing) a mask. ... 99% of people are wearing masks. They are following the rules, so we don't have to worry about enforcing it. I would rather do it by cooperation than intimidation."

People who refuse to cover their faces can cast their ballots at a designated booth that is more frequently monitored and sanitized, Cunningham said.

In DuPage County, the number of early voting locations has increased by 50% since the primary to spread out crowds, and the number of booths have been reduced at certain locations to accommodate social distancing requirements, said Adam Johnson, chief deputy clerk for DuPage County.

Polling booths at the DuPage County fairgrounds building in Wheaton were spaced far apart on Monday.

Voters also can deposit mail-in ballots at secure drop boxes inside polling places without waiting in early voting lines. Mail-in ballots can be dropped off at any early voting location. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Thursday, Oct. 29. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3.

Advice for voters at the polls

• Wash your hands before entering and after leaving.

• Wear a mask.

• Stay at least 6 feet from others.

• Vote at off-peak times, such as mid-morning.

• If driving to the polls, monitor the voter line from your car and join it when it's shorter.

• Verify your voter registration is correct before you go by checking your county clerk's website.

• Review a sample ballot at home to speed the voting process.

• Bring your own black ink pen.

• Bring a stylus for use with touch-screen voting machines. Check with poll workers before using it.

Source: <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/election-polling-locations.html">CDC</a>