28 election employees in 1 Missouri county have coronavirus

[groundloop]

Source: ABC News

O'FALLON, Mo. -- Twenty-eight employees of the election board in one of Missouri’s largest counties have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent weeks, and a director believes they most likely got infected from voters, though local health officials aren't convinced.

The Jackson County Election Board’s Republican director, Tammy Brown, said Tuesday that eight full-time and 20 part-time employees tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in the past 2 1/2 weeks. Most are doing well and recovering at home, but two part-time workers are hospitalized, including one in intensive care, Brown said.

Jackson County is Missouri’s second-largest county, behind St. Louis County. While Kansas City is part of Jackson County, the city has its own election board. The Jackson County board handled votes cast by nearly 200,000 people.

Among them were more than 60,000 people who voted absentee or by mail, Brown said. Many of those people passed through the main board office or the absentee voting office in the weeks leading up to the election, either to pick up a ballot, vote, or drop off a ballot.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/28-election-employees-missouri-county-coronavirus-74129481?cid=clicksource_4380645_1_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

[Rorey]

1. That's so sad.

If only there had been some sort of process in which they could have voted without making contact. Maybe by mail?

If only there was a decent President who didn't encourage his followers to vote in person.

[FarPoint]

2. They had 60, 000 of the 200,000 votes as mail-ins...

I did not see like a 30 day early in person vote in option...

[getagrip_already]

5. it appears mail in and absentee weren't entirely contact free...

Among them were more than 60,000 people who voted absentee or by mail, Brown said. Many of those people passed through the main board office or the absentee voting office in the weeks leading up to the election, either to pick up a ballot, vote, or drop off a ballot.

Why would people pick up and drop off mail in ballots? It's not like the usps couldn't do it..... oh wait.

[FarPoint]

6. We had the same drop-off option in Montgomery County/ Dayton Ohio...

The drop off was a separate pathway...had line monitors every say 50 feet to keep folks 6 feet apart in the vote line...No loud talking, hand sanitizer was available...very quick, smooth and uneventful.... Masks were required 100%...Did this for 30 days...No voting related covid-19 spikes known.

[getagrip_already]

13. clearly, they had different rules in place.

It doesn't matter what you experienced. Your election workers didn't get sick. These did.

Clearly there was a different process in play here. That is what is being discussed.

Fwiw, in MA, I had much the same experience you did. I got my ballot in the mail well ahead of the election, was able to fill it out and do a drive by drop off.

That is not what happened in this local where people got sick. that is all.

[FarPoint]

14. I just shared our experience here in Dayton...

so that we could compare, analyze and maybe find where future voting safety can improve....I am not disputing the indeed risks and the fact in Missouri, there was a "hot spot" event that is of great concern...

It can be done safely...that is my goal...

I does matter what I and my county experienced...

[SWBTATTReg]

16. Big difference is that we have a republican as governor, Parsons, who is worthless as a governor

and a worthless trump lackey, who has so far been unable (or unwilling) to control the CV in MO. The cities such as STL and KCMO are being somewhat successful in fighting the CV, but the republican counties, outlaying on the outskirts of both large metro areas, aren't contributing to the efforts to stop the CV, they're staying open (everything) as late as they can, not closing early like the cities are (everything closes at 11 p.m., but then go out to the county, everything is open till 1:30 a.m.).

Disgusting.

[Sherman A1]

3. Sad

These folks are patriots

[Mike 03]

4. This reminds me of that recent study showing that several or many

short exposures can add up and be as dangerous as one very long exposure.

It is very sad.

[UpInArms]

7. I voted absentee in Missouri

I did so by going into my county clerk’s office, filling out a request for ballot, receiving my ballot right then and casting my vote ... putting it in the required envelope, signing that and handing it back to the clerk.

That was the least contact way of voting.

If I had taken the ballot from their office, I would have needed to have my return envelope signature notarized. That would have required an additional contact.

There is no “mail in” without a required notary, in Missouri.

[Rorey]

8. Colorado is awesome

We have had mail-in voting for several years. I automatically get mailed my ballot and then I drop it off in a drive-up box so I don't even have to get out of my car. They can also be mailed back. Voters can also vote in person, but I don't see why I would. I got my ballot a couple of weeks before the election on a Saturday and dropped it off the following Monday. I got email notification that my ballot had been received, and then another that it had been accepted.

Editing to add: No notary required.

[UpInArms]

9. The republicans have shoved the nastiest piece of Voter ID down the throats

of the state’s citizens.

I have been furious for years.

[Rorey]

10. I understand

Didn't mean to brag. I just wish everyone would follow the model that we use.

[UpInArms]

11. I didn't see your post as bragging

Mine response was prolly me just being jealous.

[SunnyATT]

19. I'm in California and usually vote in person.

I received my ballot in the mail 3 weeks before election day, filled it out, and deposited at a local drop box that was being monitored by two election officials. We were able to track our ballots on-line. Mine was received and accepted within 3 days.

[Bengus81]

12. Similar to Kansas, but you have to send in an application for vote by mail........

It's easy, you'll get mail ins for both the primary and general so no need to do anything but wait for them to arrive. I dropped mine in a County drop box and skipped the mail.

Days later I could check on-line that it had been received and then it showed that it had been processed and counted.

[FarPoint]

15. Yikes....

I sure hope this gets attention and improved in the next year...

[Rebl2]

17. It won't

Our government in MO only allowed absentee voting with no excuse for the primary in August and election in November this year only. Normally you can only vote absentee if you will be out of the area on Election Day or are working at a polling place. We are so backwards. Actually it’s the republican controlled state house and the governors way of disenfranchising voters.

[FarPoint]

18. We here in Ohio have a republican controlled General Assembly

Have had it for many years...I am shocked beyond shocked that they even permitted the quality of voting access we did have...Ya know, it could change for the worse for us here in Ohio...just saying...

I just want to do my part for safe, free access to everyone being able to register to vote and to vote...safely....

[Rebl2]

20. I also

voted in MO absentee. We requested ours by mail. We got our request for a ballot from the Jackson county election board on line then mailed it in and got the ballot in early October. We didn’t have to get it notarized because my husband is over sixty-five and I am immunocompromised. All regular mail in ballots had to be notarized and those absentee ballots from people under sixty-five and no health problems also had to get them notarized. The state of MO. makes it so difficult to vote to the point I think they want to disenfranchise voters.

My sister was going to work the polls and then found out people voting were NOT REQUIRED to wear a mask. She told them no thanks when she found no masks had to be worn. The workers did have to wear one though. It’s no wonder why poll workers got sick.

[stillcool]

21. Damn....that's bad...but that last paragraph

is a cliff-hanger

Last week, on the other side of Missouri, the St. Charles County Election Authority learned that a poll worker came to work on Election Day despite a positive diagnosis. That woman, who has not been identified, died in her sleep after the election. It isn’t yet clear if she infected any voters or fellow election judges. Her cause of death has not yet been determined