HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio — Voters have four days left to cast their ballot, but with coronavirus forcing thousands into quarantine every day, what happens to people ordered to isolate before they get to a poll?
Registered voters admitted to hospitals for emergencies, including COVID-19, between Saturday's mail ballot request deadline and 3 p.m. on election day can vote from their beds. Hospital leaders are letting bi-partisan election board personnel visit, deliver and collect ballots.
Dr. Steve Feagins from Mercy Anderson said they wear proper gear and are escorted by an infectious disease doctor.
"That process includes being able to visualize, to discuss through an intercom system and to vote appropriately,” Feagins said.
Ryan Fitzgordon, manager of USPS Norwood, said getting mail-in ballots from hospital beds is doable.
"We definitely won't have any issue getting it from hospitals,” Fitzgordon said. “We work with them to make sure they make sure that everyone that is submitting a ballot actually does get to us."
Ohio broke another daily diagnosis record Friday, just one day before the state's deadline to request a mail-in ballot. Registered voters who are in quarantine but not hospitalized before election day can still safely leave the house to vote.
Hamilton County Board of Elections director Sherry Poland said curbside voting is an option for those in quarantine at home.
Poland said voters in quarantine can bring a representative to their polling location to inform a poll worker that a curbside voter has arrived.
For quarantined voters without a representative, Poland recommends staying in your car and flagging down a poll worker wearing a blue vest to help get the curbside voting process started.
