Millions head to polls as COVID-19 afflicts record numbers of Ohioans

 By Jake Zuckerman

Voters in line to vote early on Oct. 24 before the Board of Elections opened. Voters shown here at 8am are on the InnerBelt ramp in a line that snaked around the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. There was an estimated two hour wait to vote from the end of the line.

On March 16, the state health department reported that 13 more Ohioans tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the cumulative known caseload to 50.

Just after 10 p.m., Gov. Mike DeWine announced that Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton issued an order delaying the primary election, scheduled for the next day.

The announcement seemingly ignored Common Pleas Judge Richard Frye’s rejection of a lawsuit just hours earlier seeking to delay the election. DeWine and Secretary of State Frank LaRose helped orchestrate the lawsuit.

Acton’s order cited the “imminent threat” of “widespread exposure” to COVID-19.

“It is clear from history and experience that large number[s] of people gather at polling locations which increases the risk of transmission of COVID-19,” the order states. “To conduct an election at this time would force poll workers and voters to face an unacceptable risk of contracting COVID-19.”

Times have changed.

On Monday, ODH reported 2,900 more Ohioans contracted COVID-19. More than 1,800 are currently in the hospital with the disease, and more than 5,300 have died since March.

Regardless, thousands of Ohioans will pour into poll locations Tuesday to pick a president, two state Supreme Court justices, state senators and representatives, and scores of down-ballot candidates and issues.

Of course, there are some key differences: our collective understanding of the virus, how it spreads and who’s at risk has evolved; our risk tolerance has developed while we figure out how to navigate ordinary life during an extraordinary health crisis; evidence-backed personal protective equipment is more readily available; and the state has more control over its primary election than a general election.

The contrast is nonetheless stark.

The incubation period for COVID-19 can be up to 14 days, according to the CDC. Over the last 14-day period ending Monday, more than 38,000 Ohioans contracted COVID-19. The close contacts (within six feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) of people known to be infected are advised to quarantine as well.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued guidance to county boards of elections, advising them to utilize curbside voting for people who tested positive or may have been exposed to COVID-19.

“No matter what, every eligible voter who wishes to vote must be permitted to do so after they are asked to consider safer alternatives,” the guidance states.

A spokeswoman said Tuesday LaRose has also implemented an emergency option, allowing people who have been ordered to isolate or quarantine since noon Saturday to request an absentee ballot before 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Melanie Amato, an ODH spokeswoman, said Tuesday that the department does not plan on issuing any orders to halt the election or prevent anyone from voting.

“The state of Ohio has now had nine months to learn and study COVID-19,” she said. “When the original order was issued in March, Ohio was just starting to have positive cases. We were still learning and did not have the precautions in place that we do now. Now with a mask mandate, social distancing, safety precautions for poll workers and more knowledge about the virus, we feel people can remain safe when heading to the polls.”

State lawmakers went on to rework the primary into an all-mail affair with an April 28 deadline. What effect, if any, the coronavirus could have on Tuesday’s election remains unclear.

As of 2 p.m. Monday, LaRose said 3.4 million Ohioans have cast their ballot early in person, via drop box, or by mail. One day before the 2016 election, that number was 1.8 million.

The presidential race has in many ways been defined by the pandemic. President Donald Trump has insisted, without evidence, the pandemic is “rounding the corner.” The campaign has hosted large-scale rallies with few wearing masks or social distancing. Trump has spent months downplaying the virus and caricaturizing it as a media hoax. He floated the idea of firing the federal government’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, on Sunday after Fauci criticized Trump’s handling of the pandemic in an interview with The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Democratic challenger Joe Biden has generally opted against large rallies, frequently wears his mask during public appearances, and criticizes the president for hosting “super spreader” events — including one at the White House believed to have infected Trump and more than 20 contacts including aides, U.S. Senators and journalists.

In Ottawa County, the virus and the election are set to literally converge: The county health department’s boardroom has been retooled into a poll location.

According to Cleveland.com, the county has picked the winner of the presidential race in each of the last 14 elections. It turned red Oct. 22 on Ohio’s Public Health Advisory System map, indicating “very high rates of exposure and spread.”

Health Commissioner Jerry Bingham said he’s focused on stopping spread within households and at social gatherings. If people wear masks and socially distance at the polls, voting will be safe, but he said everybody must buy in.

“Back in March, this was such a new virus,” he said. “Over the months, there have been a lot of new discoveries about what works well, what doesn’t, how infectious it is. I’d say we know a lot more about the virus than in March.”

That said, LaRose’s guidance to boards of election hints at the bitter national divide regarding masks. It says poll workers should “encourage” voters to wear masks but cannot force them to.

“Do not engage in underlying issues that may factor into the objection,” the guidance warns.

The CDC offers its own guidance for voting during the pandemic: masks, hand hygiene, social distancing, and getting in and out as quickly as possible.

“Voters who are sick or in quarantine should take steps to protect poll workers and other voters,” it states. “This includes wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, and washing your hands or using hand sanitizer before and after voting. You should also let poll workers know that you are sick or in quarantine when you arrive at the polling location. Check with local authorities for any additional guidance.”

This story is provided by Ohio Capital Journal, a part of States Newsroom, a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story here.

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Commentary: In Praise of Everyday Government

By R. T. Andrews

It’s Sunday afternoon and I have just returned from voting in person at the Board of Elections. It was a thoroughly satisfying experience in every sense of the word.

The plan was to vote curbside, an accommodation by the Board for those who are either disabled or at high risk of exposure to COVID-19. But an officer monitoring traffic, apparently unfamiliar with the procedure, denied its existence. Fortunately, we were armed with ballot familiarity, face shields,  N-95 masks, warm clothing, and hand sanitizer, and decided to stand in what was, at 4:20PM or so, a fairly short line on East 30^th Street extending only halfway down the block from Euclid to Chester. 

The sidewalk was marked with a green "X" every six feet, the line proceeded with alacrity, and we were soon enough at the door, where a pair of nurses stood digitally measuring forehead temperatures. We next entered a labyrinth of plastic sheeting that doubled back on itself again and again so many times that the hundred feet we might actually have covered felt more like ten times that, but not in any cloistered or uncomfortable way. A reassuring number of Board employees and County Sheriff deputies stood all along the path, giving us a feeling that we were in a safe space engineered for both safety and efficiency. 

When we got to the place of signing in and receiving our ballots, I noticed a Board employee with disinfectant spraying the place where a previous voter had sat. After verifying my identity [government issued photo ID] and confirmation of my address, I was given a printed ballot, instructed on how to complete it, an “I VOTED” sticker, and directions to a voting spot where I could stand or sit to complete my voting responsibilities. Five minutes later I was done.

The entire process, from getting in line to scanning my ballot at the end, took less than an hour. And I was sure, as always, to complete my ballot all the way to the end. If I skipped a judicial contest or two, it was an intentional statement and not an action born of fear or ignorance.

In addition to relief at having completed an important task, I felt a certain joy and camaraderie at completing a communal activity with my fellow citizens. I appreciated the palpable sense of collective responsibility among my fellow masked electors. 

I give kudos to our public officials, from the elected Secretary of State to our appointed County Board of Elections, to the Board’s professional staff, as well as to any volunteers or temporary employees involved in this year’s elections. 

It’s not a simple government operation in the best of times, and we are far from the best of times. We are in the midst of a life-threatening and life-altering pandemic, our economy is a wreck, our civil rights and liberties are under constant assault from well-organized foes both foreign and domestic, and our nation is in peril. People we should not trust are telling us we cannot trust ourselves, that our public officials are illegitimate, ill-meaning, and/or incompetent. 

Thousands of people are early voting in person in Cuyahoga County every day, in a complex operation across multiple jurisdictions. My vote today, along with the unprecedented numbers of early and absentee voters to date, both here and around the country, is not just a direct rebuke to the President and all others acting in collusion with him — yes, there is collusion — to undermine faith in our electoral system. It is also a testament of the efficiency and intelligence of many of our government systems that, notwithstanding their imperfections, constantly work to serve us all. We should continue to support them, even as we work to improve their operation and ensure evermore equitable access to their resources.

I hope and believe that Americans in 2020 will continue to vote in record-breaking numbers all across the nation. It may not be as easy for millions for them as it was for me today, but I assure them the rewards will be at least as sweet.

If that happens, I will stand in assured accord with Victor Laszlo  from Casablanca and repeat his resolute and immortal words: “This time I know our side will win!”

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This article originally appeared in The Real Deal Press. Republished with permission.