On Voting in a Time of Pestilence
It's hard to say when this COVID-19 pandemic will be enough gone to make everyone comfortable about heading to the polling place on November 3. In most states, you'll be able to vote by mail prior to election day, but not in all.
Here's how I feel about that: If I must vote at a polling place in the 2020 General Election, I certainly will.
I will put on my mask and my blue nitrile gloves. I will carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket. I will go to the polls at at time I know will not result in many people there. I will walk in and sign my name on the voting register and take my ballot to the voting booth. There, I will mark it for the Democrats in every race. I will not touch my face. I will observe the social distancing guidelines. I will use the pen provided. Then, I will put my ballot into the optical reader machine and wait until I see that it has been counted.
Then, I will leave the polling place, still without touching my face. I will strip off my gloves and dispose of them in a nearby trash can. Then, I will carefully sanitize my hands before getting my keys and getting into my car. I will drive my wife and myself back to our home, where I will dispose of the mask and thoroughly wash my hands. Then, I will wait to watch the election results on my TV.
What I will not to is fail to vote. I hope others will do the same.
If you can vote by mail, please do. If you cannot, you can vote safely by following all of the health guidelines, as described above. But, you must vote. It is essential that we all vote, regardless of what the state of the pandemic is on election day.
Biden 2020!
You Go, Joe!
