NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett says the state is taking all the necessary precautions to keep voters and poll workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hargett spoke to NewsChannel 5 This Morning on Tuesday, which is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, and encouraged people to vote in person for the November election, saying it’s “clean, it’s safe and secure.”
Hargett also asked voters to wear facial coverings when voting in person.
“I think [wearing a mask is] the right thing to do for everybody involved, and our poll officials are doing that for the voters, and we ask voters to do that for our poll officials,” he said.
If you qualify to vote by mail, you should visit GoVoteTn.gov to request an absentee ballot. You can also contact your local election commission for more information. Hargett said those ballots will go out in mid-September, and voters need to get them in as soon as possible.
It takes about 17,000 poll workers to administer elections across Tennessee, and Hargett said the state is taking all the necessary precautions to keep them safe. In addition to equipping poll workers with PPE, he said they’re also implementing social distancing guidelines and reducing touch points for voters.
“The most common comment I’ve heard from people as they left the polls, and I’ve visited 40 counties during early voting, was they said ‘wow I feel like I walked into a doctor’s office or a surgical treatment center.’ That’s how clean [polling locations] are,” Hargett said.
Hargett said they would like to have an additional 2,000 – 2,500 poll workers this year to help count absentee ballots. Click here for more information on how to become a poll official.
