How to Vote If You Become Infected With COVID
People are already voting by mail in record numbers this year, but what if you planned to vote in person and then fell ill just before Election Day? Maybe it’s COVID-19, or maybe something else. Be that as it may, you need to be sure that none of the election officials or other voters get sick (and you probably shouldn’t be doing anything as stressful as voting in person anyway). In this case, you may need an emergency vote, some versions of which are available in most states. Here’s what to do if this happens to you.
First, check the delivery times for mailing ballots in your state.
There are several different deadlines to keep in mind when it comes to mailing newsletters – and yes, every state has its own time frame. In some cases, there is a deadline for requesting an absentee ballot, as well as other cutoffs indicating the last possible postmark on the ballot and / or the date it was received by the local electoral council. It is quite late to request an absentee ballot at this point, but as always, check your state’s electoral rules to see when things should be done.
How to get an emergency newsletter
If you fall ill after the point where you can request an absentee vote, most states will give you some form of emergency vote request. Again, check with your state or local district electoral office to find out what this process involves, but it’s safe to assume that you will need to find and complete an application of some kind (which should also be available on the website your state.).
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), states handle flash ballots differently:
38 states allow emergency absentee voting for medical emergencies
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Election officials in 6 states will deliver your ballot if you are unable to attend the polls due to a medical emergency.
Arizona, California, Georgia, Minnesota, Vermont, and West Virginia.
Hospitalized voters in 17 states can appoint someone to request / deliver / send their emergency ballot
Arkansas, Colorado *, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah.
* Colorado mails ballots to all eligible voters, but if an emergency or natural disaster occurs after the mailing deadline and a voter cannot receive a new ballot in person, he may appoint an authorized representative to receive the new ballot. on their behalf.
For complete information on regulations in your state, visit the NCSL website .