Associated Press
- Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Washington state head to the polls on March 10.
- Two of the four states have had confirmed coronavirus cases.
- Washington state was badly hit by the outbreak and 22 of the 26 confirmed deaths so far were reported in the state.
- Here's how these states are dealing with the coronavirus outbreak for tomorrows election.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
1. Idaho
Associated PressDeputy Secretary of State Chad Houck told Business Insider that the state so far has no confirmed COVID-19 cases and will not be changing anything for tomorrows election.
Whether individual polling stations have additional hand sanitizer is at the discretion of the 44 independent counties in the state.
"Without a case in Idaho at this time, we decided not to issue a directive," Houck said.
However, Houck said that he was very conscious to the states proximity to Washington state, which has been the most impacted by the outbreak. He said there will most likely be protocols set in place for their election in May, as they expect to have cases by then.
He added that citizens should follow a directive given by the governor last week that discusses personal hygiene practices like washing your hands frequently and sneezing and coughing into a tissue.
2. Michigan
AP Photo/Paul SancyaMichigan, which also has no confirmed COVID-19 cases will be stepping up it's sanitation efforts, according to Reuters.
Officials are instructing election clerks to constantly disinfect voting booths, touchscreen machines, pencils, and other equipment.
Officials from the Michigan Secretary of State office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The measures also asks that election clerks also follow "election day hygiene," according to Reuters.
"Wash hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If not available, use hand sanitizer. Build in additional breaks for election inspectors to sanitize their hands regularly," the guidelines read, according to Reuters.
3. Missouri
Matt Miller / Washington Post / GettyAccording to USA Today, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is providing local election officials with "basic recommendations for basic precautions."
The state has had one case of COVID-19, the name for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and that patient had recently visited Italy, a country that's currently facing a large outbreak of the new coronavirus.
Aschcroft's office did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
"Our recommendation to the public at large is to get out and vote. It will be safe. We're used to having elections during flu season," Ashcroft told USA Today.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- Here are the major events that have been cancelled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus so far
- The coronavirus outbreak could cost America millions in tourism revenue — here are the major travel destinations that stand to lose the most.
- The Louvre, Legoland, and three Disney theme parks are closed because of the coronavirus. Here's all of the major museum and theme park closures so far.
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