In the 2016 general election approximately 27% of voters in the United States were over the age of 65. In the U.S.,16.5% of the population is over 65, in Palm Beach county that number is 24.4%, and in the City of Boca Raton, it is 26.4%. In the County of Palm Beach there are close to 1 million active voters, (with slightly over 1 million both active and inactive registered voters) according to the Florida State Department. And in the City of Boca Raton, out of the 71,051 active and inactive registered voters, 19,436 of those are over 65.
In a survey conducted in March, 64% of people over the age of 65 said they would feel uncomfortable going to a polling place. And that number makes sense, considering that the majority of COVID-19 deaths are from that age category. Not surprisingly, half of votes are expected to be cast by mail-in-ballots this year, and 60% of votes cast in Florida’s primary were by mail. Even President Trump voted by mail in the Florida primaries. So, in a time when it’s considered high risk for a person to eat at a buffet, and that risk is only amplified for those over 65, how should they vote?
Pros and cons with mail-in-ballots
If you have opted to vote by mail-in-ballot in the general elections this year, you may have already requested your ballot, but if not, it’s not too late. You have up until 5:00 p.m. on October 24 to request your ballot online, and if you miss that deadline you can pick up a mail-in-ballot at any of the Palm Beach County Supervisor of elections offices up until election day.
For more information on how to vote by mail as well as to view a sample ballot or track your mail-in-ballot click here.
As convenient as mailing in your ballot may be, there have been a slew of complications that go along with it, and that has only escalated this year as an increasing number of people turn to by-mail-voting. Two of the biggest concerns are voter fraud, and that your vote won’t count.
Mail-in ballots do slightly increase the chance of voter fraud. But even with that being the case only 6 people in the State of Florida have been charged with attempting to cast more than one vote in the past 4 years. The chance of voter fraud is minimal and the, “Supervisors of elections who run voting in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties say voting by mail is safe, secure and reliable.”
A greater concern is that your vote by mail may not be counted. Issues can arise during all parts of the process. In a well publicized case this year in Wisconsin approximately 9,000 requested vote-by-mail ballots were never sent. In Florida, which has had no excuse by-mail voting for almost 20 years, the issue of uncounted votes stems from a different area. Once you receive your ballot, the process to ensure it’s filled out correctly and on time can be complex. In the primaries in Florida 35,500 mail-in-votes did not count, due to either not arriving on time or not meeting the signature requirements.
Voters shouldn’t be discouraged by those numbers, though. It’s easier to quantify mail-in-ballots not counted than it is to calculate the number of people that were unable to vote because they arrived late or without an ID, as supervisor of Elections for Pinellas County, Julie Marcus, points out in an article by the Tampa Bay Times.
The key to making your vote count is ensuring that you follow all procedures. The following is a link to a comprehensive article by the Sun Sentinel with everything you need to know about How to vote by mail in Florida — and make sure your vote gets counted.
The obvious upside to voting during Covid-19 pandemic for somebody over 65 is that it is safer.
Karlee Welding has several years experience working with the organization Senior Helpers. While discussing the safest method for her clients to vote, she points out that although her organization provides her with all the tools necessary to keep her clients safe, “With the risk it would be better to do mail in ballots.” And Quinton Hardial, who works at a local nursing home agrees. Many of the residents where he works already have their mail-in-ballots and he recommends that, “Even with the guidelines and restrictions in place…someone in a high risk category should definitely try to vote by mail”.
Voting by mail also reduces the exposure of polling place workers, the majority of whom are over 60.
As of October 16 just over 40% of Palm Beach County voters had requested mail-in-ballots. The county has also expanded the number of drop boxes to 4, all of which are outside with 24 hour video surveillance. Starting on Monday, October 19 (the same day early voting begins), there will be a total of 29 locations to drop off your by-mail-ballot. They are open from 7:00am to 7:00pm, and all workers will be wearing PPE.
How to make in-person voting as safe as possible
The Brennan Center and the Infectious Disease Society of America have come together and released a set of guidelines for safe in-person voting. And according to this article published by the Brennan Center on voting safety “the most critical piece of guidance in the Guidelines for Healthy In-Person Voting is that casting a ballot in person in November can be done safely, without endangering voters’ health.”
Those set of guidelines, along with the most recent Considerations for Election Polling Locations and Voters released by the CDC can be broken down into two parts. Advice for polling places and advice for voters. Hardial, who voted in person in the primaries this year said that, “Poll workers did try to adhere to CDC guidelines with regard to social distancing, sanitization, and facial coverings”.
Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link says that because of the pandemic “we want to get people in and out, we are going to add some additional positions”. Poll workers will also be receiving a one-time incentive pay of $100.
Given that Palm Beach County continues to follow the guidelines, the rest of voting safety during COVID-19 is up to the voters.
The most important part of a trip to the polling place is the same as a trip anywhere else. Plan ahead. Wear a mask, wash your hands before, use hand sanitizer while there, and maintain a distance of 6 feet from other people. Do not wipe down voting equipment yourself, avoid bringing unnecessary people in with you (i.e. children, etc…), and try to avoid peak times. Aiming for mid morning or early afternoon might be a good idea.
The Palm Beach Elections website will allow you to check wait times at all locations, and will be updated every 30 minutes. Additionally, make sure to check all requirements in advance. You will need to bring a photo ID with a signature, and if you don’t have one you will be allowed to vote on a provisional ballot. You can click here to check your voter registration status and find your polling place.
Early voting started Monday, October 19 and runs through Sunday, November 1. Polling places are open from 7:00am to 7:00pm. You can view this map to find an early voting site as well as all of the 29 locations where you can drop off mail-in-ballots. You can vote early at any location in the county.
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So even with all precautions taken, just how risky is voting in person for somebody over the age of 65 during the Covid-19 pandemic? As stated in an article by the Sun Sentinel “Dr. Mona Mangat, a St. Petersburg allergist and immunologist, said she considers voting to be a low-to-moderate risk activity.” That puts casting a ballot in person somewhere between going grocery shopping and riding a bus. It’s more chancy than voting by mail, but safer than going to the gym or eating at a buffet. So if you are over 65 and planning to vote in person make sure you assess your risk, and plan ahead.
“No voter should have to choose between their safety and their fundamental right to vote in November. And with the right policies, planning, and practices in place, they will not have to.”-Brennan Center for Justice and the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Guidelines for Healthy In-Person Voting