Many people across the country are wondering what polling stations look like due to COVID-19. In Maricopa County, with more and more voting centers opening as Election Day grows closer, many voters have already cast their ballots early.
By Nov. 3, there will be 175 vote centers open across the county, each following safety protocols that align with the Center for Disease Control guidelines and recommendations from the Maricopa County Public Health Department, according to the County Recorder’s website.
According to an infographic released on the Maricopa County Recorder’s website, the Elections Department will require social distancing, protective safety supplies, frequent cleaning and disinfecting, and encouragement of good hygiene.
Due to the impact of COVID-19 on the March Presidential Preference Election, the Elections Department made adjustments to the original plans made over twelve months prior to the election.
These adjustments, noted in the infographic from the county, include, “moving from a precinct based in-person voting model to a vote anywhere Vote Center model complemented by a robust amount of early voting options.”
Aliyah Magee, a registered voter in Maricopa County, said, “Although this was my first time voting in a presidential election, voting at a polling place felt very normal.”
“Everyone was wearing masks and the voting booths were spaced out so I felt safe in that aspect. I definitely think that maybe as Election Day approaches, the polling places might become a little more unsafe because there will be more people there,” she said.
During a Board of Supervisors Formal Meeting on Sept. 16, Scott Jarrett, director of Election Day and Emergency Voting with the Maricopa County Elections Department, said that due to the need for physical distancing and heightened safety protocols, voting locations may have moved. However, they are expanding the Vote Center model.
This model allows voters to choose from any voting location instead of being assigned one.
“These large locations will also be able to check in more voters at a time, and are located across the county, including on tribal land and in rural areas to ensure in-person voting continues to be an option for all communities,” Jarrett said.
Arizona State University has a polling location at the Sun Devil Fitness Center on the Tempe Campus. The university is taking precautions to ensure safety for all students and will be requiring masks within the polling area.
“As a first-time voter, I value the opportunity to be able to vote in person, regardless of Covid. It’s part of the experience to be able to go in person to vote. This is such an important election and is crucial that everyone votes,” said Maricopa County registered voter Shelby Brown.
Find voting locations and hours of operation at Locations.Maricopa.Vote. A map of a few polling places and ballot drop-off boxes are listed in the map below.
Contact the reporter at erjohn15@asu.edu.
