NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After testing out the use of coffee stirrers for the August primary, Davidson County will once again use them in anticipation of a much larger turnout this upcoming election.
Administrator of Elections Jeff Roberts said it was a challenge to create a touchless voting system because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the stirrers have become one useful tool to creating a safer environment for voters. More than 800 boxes of stirrers will be available to cover all polling locations in the city. They will have enough to supply the 450,000 registered voters in Davidson County.
"This will actually allow you to make choices on the screen without touching anything. We didn't want to do the touching because we would have to do the cleaning after every voter," Roberts told NewsChannel 5.
Nine-thousand boxes of pens for one-time use will also be provided for voter applications. Just like the stirrers, the pens can be recycled, but it will be reused for future elections.
"There will be plenty of time for the virus to die on the surface should there be any on them," he added.
The supplies were made available through Metro's contracts with certain vendors. Some other counties are relying on q-tips or popsicle sticks instead.
"Who knew especially in the midst of technology and all the other things to advance that it would be the coffee stirrer to cast your vote," voter Erin Anderson said.
The use of stirrers comes as 200,000 people are expected to early vote which will start on Wednesday and last until October 29.
Meanwhile, the number of absentee ballot requests has gone up with 30,000 requests so far. The total in 2016 was 7,000. Roberts said more than 18,000 filled-out absentee ballots have already been sent back.
