LETTER: Consider voting by mail to minimize virus risk
Consider voting by mail to minimize virus risk
Traditionally, a high percentage of people who work at elections, such as poll workers and poll watchers, are retirees, many of whom are senior citizens. Senior citizens comprise one of the demographic groups that are most susceptible to complications of COVID-19, including fatal outcomes. If significant numbers of election workers should decide that the exposure to the coronavirus is a danger that they do not want to risk, it may lead to closing of some polling places and longer lines at the ones that are open. This was observed in the Wisconsin primary election earlier this year. Voters, of course, may want to minimize their exposure to the corona virus and this year many are considering mail-in voting.
There has been concern that a large volume of mail-in votes could overwhelm the U.S. Postal Service’s capacity. Of course, the problem will be worse if everyone waits till the last few days before the election to vote.
My wife and I downloaded a mail-in ballot application form from the website: votespa.com/. You can also apply for a mail-in ballot in person at a county election office beginning 50 days before an election. The form was easy to fill out. It asks for your name, address, municipality, ward and voting district (if known). It asks how long you have lived at your current address and for identification. In our cases we used our driver’s license ID numbers. A PennDOT photo ID also is acceptable. After completing your form and signing it, you send it to your county election office. The correct address for each county is included with your downloaded form. We sent in our application last week.
The county office will review your application, and if everything is in order, they will mail you a ballot, once available. If something is awry, they will contact you. I checked with the Washington County Election office and they estimated that election ballots will be sent out in mid-September. As soon as we get our ballots and are sure of our choices of candidates we will fill in the ballots, place them in the appropriate envelopes and mail them in.
If prospective voters start this procedure promptly, they should be able to ensure that their vote is counted and they can avoid exposure to a deadly illness.
James A. Krebs, M.D.
Canonsburg