COMMENTARY: Supervisor of Elections Issues Guidelines for a Safe Experience While Voting

The Collier County Supervisor of Elections takes the safety and health of our staff, election workers and voters very seriously and we are all very concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affects our community.  We have taken several steps to ensure the safety of our volunteers and our voters and have set the below guidelines to provide a safe voting experience for everyone. 

Each polling location will be provided with the following PPE supplies to ensure the safety of our election workers: hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, electronic wipes, gloves, Plexiglas sneeze guards, social distancing signage, face covering signage, as well as cloth and 3-ply masks (masks are available for voters as well should they request one).  Based on the activity we have seen with voters requesting a Vote-by-Mail ballot, we believe a growing number of Collier voters will likely choose to cast their ballot by mail, which will help decrease the amount of traffic during in-person voting.   

Regarding face coverings in the polling location, we are asking our election workers to wear a face covering while in the polling room, unless they have a medical condition that prevents them from doing so.  We are also strongly encouraging voters to wear a face covering while in the polling room.  We can in no way restrict an individual’s access to vote.  All individuals who show up to vote will be able to exercise that right regardless of whether or not they are wearing a face covering.

Should you have any questions regarding the above guidelines, please contact our office at 239-252-VOTE (8683) or SupervisorOfElections@CollierCountyFL.gov.