ST. LOUIS — Primary day in Missouri will be unlike any other with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Election officials have made changes to make sure everyone who exercises their civic duty – and all those who are helping out – has a safe experience.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday.
From more hand sanitizer, masks, gloves and social distancing markers, here's a look at what voters can expect to see and experience as they head to the polls Tuesday.
St. Louis County:
Registered voters are still assigned a voting location, but to accommodate different situations and disperse crowds, county voters can cast a ballot at any St. Louis County polling place.
Anyone who wants to go inside a polling place to cast a ballot must wear a mask. They’ll be provided for anyone who doesn’t have one of their own. And make sure to bring a form of ID as well. You can see a full list of acceptable IDs here.
To see a sample ballot, check out St. Louis County’s website.
City of St. Louis:
There will be visual cues all around to help voters know where they should go and where they can stand. Clear plastic shields will be up to minimize potential exposure between voters and workers.
Poll workers will be wearing masks.
As for voters, masks are strongly encouraged.
If someone doesn't bring one, the Board of Elections will have masks available. If someone doesn't want to wear one, volunteers will ask them to wear one and offer one. If the voter still refuses, the volunteer will contact a Poll Manager.
Poll Managers will try to accommodate the voter by offering the voter options other than entering into the polling place. If the voter refuses, the Board of Elections said they cannot refuse an eligible voter the right to vote.
On their website, it said an isolated location will be provided to the voter to cast his or her ballot separate from other voters wearing masks.
Stylus pens will be sanitized after each use. Polling places also have high tech, disposable Q-Tips for voters to use on touchscreens.
Curbside voting:
Voting has a curbside option, too, in the COVID-19 age. It’s actually long been an option in Missouri for an election worker to bring a ballot to you on the sidewalk or at your car, typically reserved for people with mobility issues.
In St. Charles and Jefferson County, election authorities told 5 On Your Side that's still going to be the case this election, though Jefferson County is considering expanding it for the November Election.
St. Louis County opted to expand the curbside offering because of the pandemic as well as the local face mask requirement.
“The instruction that our board has issued is that if somebody is uncomfortable wearing a mask in the polling place, that they can vote curbside,” said Eric Fey, St. Louis County’s Democratic Director of Elections.
The same applies in St. Louis city, where they'll also bring ballots out to those who might be feeling COVID-19 symptoms.
